1921-P VAM 3A3 Morgan - Questions about Die Breaks and Clashes

nesvt

Recently picked up this 21-P Morgan. From the descriptions for the 3A series, I'm thinking it's a 3A3.
The C in AMERICA also shows some die erosion.
Has some nice cracks and a break in the denticle near UNITED. Looks slightly displaced.
Small die break on the 1st and 2nd left star.
The coin is clashed, but I don't see any transfered letters.

Questions...
Do all the 3A3's have these cracks?
Are all of the 3A's clashed or did it happen between the 3A1, 3A2, and 3A3?
What's up under Liberty's nose? The area looks raised.

obverse
reverse

MAD4MORGANS

Norm,
The Vam Encyclopedia first attributed the VAM3A which had the Spiked Tail Feather. The new updates at www.Ashmore.com (Feb 2006) have three die states copied below:

I'm thinking yours is a VAM3A3 because of the wide die gouge going thru the the middle of the second L in Dollar. I kinda doubt if Leroy would mention minor die scratches/clashmarks/die errosions beyond the more obvious markers.

I don't know what's going on under Liberty's nose. It looks like it could be a die scratch and maybe toned differentlyor possibly a clash. I'm gonna check a few of my coins to see if I can find that but may not have a VAM-3A.

VAM3A1(revised) IV 1 · D2a (Spiked Tail Feather, Die Gouges State 1) (189) I-3 R-5

Reverse D2a– First die gouge state with horizontal die gouge extending to right from number 3 tail feather.

VAM3A2(revised) IV 1 · D2a (Spiked Tail Feather, Die Gouges State 2) (189) I-3 R-6

Reverse D2a– Second die gouge state with added small rounded die gouge at top of R in DOLLAR.

VAM3A3 IV 1 · D2a (Spiked Tail Feather, Die Gouges State 3) (189) I-3 R-6

Reverse D2a– Third die gouge state with added wide die gouge thru middle of second L in DOLLAR.

messydesk

I have a 3A3 in front of me, and it has the cracks you show. I don't see the die deterioration by the C in AMERICA, though, although the specimen I'm looking at is a little grungy, so that might be hiding it. I also don't see the line in front of Liberty's lip, which is a clash from the wreath. So it sounds like you could have what could be called VAM 3A4, contingent on the deterioration by the C being pronouncedly different enough from a previous state to be recognizable. You'd have to provide Leroy with a coin with and without this deterioration so that he could photograph both. The clash is not enough to call it a different number.

Incidentally, of the 3 different die stages of the 3A, I think the 3A2 is the rarest. This is from an unscientific census of a statistically insufficient population from which to make this conclusion, but it's still what I think.

1921obsession

Norm, I saw and replied to your similar thread at another forum. I don't have a 3A3, but both my 3A1 and 3A2 show similar deterioration in the C.

3A1:



3A2: