What exactly does "Top 100" mean when referring to VAMs?

Gator5220

I know very little about VAM's, and have been curious.

While I'm at it, how do they determine the numbering of VAM's?

Cladiator

I know nothing of VAM's but would hazard to guess that it refers to the 100 most rare VAM's?

morganbarber

There is a book called something like "One Hundred Hottest VAMs". The real VAM book has virtually every VAM and most are uninteresting.

RedTiger

Here is the book that "started" the VAM resurgence:
The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties: The VAM Keys (3rd ed.) by Michael S. Fey and Jeff Oxman. Published 1997.

Here is a link describing (but no pictures) the Top 100
http://www.bestcoin.com/Top-100-Morgan-Dollar-Varieties.htmLink

MAD4MORGANS

<< <i>I know very little about VAM's, and have been curious.

While I'm at it, how do they determine the numbering of VAM's? >>

Coinhusker1

My understanding is it is the Top 100 when combining interest and rarity.

There are many very rare VAMs which do not command much of a premium due to limited interest.

I like the Top 100 because you can see most of them with a naked eye or limited magnfication (i.e. 5x). I don't like to mess with stereo microscopes!

VamGuy

"Top 100" refers to "The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties: The VAM keys". This is a book written by Dr. Michael Fey and Jeff Oxman back in 1996. In a nutshell, the book is a collection of the Morgan dollar varieties that the authors found most interesting.

As far as the numbering system for VAMs, it's complicated, but rather simplistic once one becomes familiar.

To begin, a coin must first have the obv. & rev. die designs identified. For the 1921 (easiest of all), there is only one obverse die design, the IV obverse. The reverse shows only two possiblilities, the D1 & D2. A perfectly normal obverse die would be IV 1. A perfectly normal reverse die would be D1a or D2a. The number system begins with a normal obverse die paired with the first normal reverse die. Therfore, VAM 1 would be IV 1 * D1a. If a unique characteristic is found on one, or both, of the dies, a new VAM number sub variety is created to identify it. The VAM 1A is the same die marraige, but the reverse die is pitted from rust. When a new die is discovered, it is assigned a new VAM number. Also, when a new variety of an existing pair of dies is found, it is assigned a new sub variety. This can be seen below.


As a side note, 20 coins back from Leroy. 7 revisions & 6 new varieties.

Of most importance, I discovered a new die stage of the 1888 VAM 7. The stage I discovered is now identified as the 7A Die Gouge State 2, the old VAM 7A became VAM 7B Die Gouge State 3, the old VAM 7B became 7C Die Gouge State 4, and the old VAM 7C became VAM 7D Die Gouge State 5. This was decided by Leroy in an effort to keep the die stages in their actual real life progression.


The listings have been revised as follows:

7A(revised 3/24/06) III25 · C3d (Near Slanted Date, Doubled Wreath, Die Gouge State 2) (190) I-3 R-5
Reverse C3d–Die gouge lines added above lower, middle, and top arrow heads.

7B (revised 3/24/06) III25 · C3d (Near Slanted Date, Doubled Wreath, Die Gouge State 3) (190) I-3 R-5
Reverse C3d– Lines above eagle’s left wing have disappeared except for lower one. Die gouge lines added as short vertical lines at bottom of eagle’s right wing and series of lines between eagle’s left wing and body up to neck.
(revised 3/24/06)

7C III25 · C3d (Near Slanted Date, Doubled Wreath, Die Gouge State 4) (190) I-3 R-5
Reverse C3d– Die gouge line added thru lower tail feathers, line below middle of olive branch and line in middle of tail feathers above olive branch. Short horizontal die gouge at bottom of eagle’s left wing. Some have lines to lower tail feathers above olive branch. Heavy die wear with erosion around letters of UNITED STATES & In God We Trust.

7D III25 · C3d (Near Slanted Date, Doubled Wreath, Die Gouge State 5) ( ? ) I-3 R-4
Reverse C3d– Die gouge line added to lower part of tail feathers above olive branch, back of top arrow head and above right end of olive branch. Die further worn and eroded.

Coxe

OK. VAMs are an inventory of unique die pairings and notable die states beyond that. Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis began the effort, which bears their initials (VAM) and Leroy continues adding new ones to this day. There are thousands of them, which represents a good fraction but certainly not all die pairings. Much of what has been added the past few years are interesting die states, likes breaks and clashes.

Because of the uncollectibly large number of varieties, Jeff Oxman and Michael Fey decided to present a list of 100 Morgan VAMs that were within the range of collectibility (not just one or two known) and were interesting enough as well. They were christened the Top-100 in a book they published a decade ago. An additional 50 Morgan VAMs were collected into a list called the Hot-50. A similar list of 50 Peace VAMs comprises the Top-50 for that series. Most recently, Mark Kimpton published a book detailing 61 popular clashed Morgan varieties, called the Super Clashed Dies or SCD for short.

All three top TPGs (PCGS, NGC and ANACS) today designate the Top-100 and Hot-50 Morgan and the Top-50 Peace dollars. The SDCs likely will follow on all three. Additionally, there is a sizable population of specialists who also pursue newer rarities not represented on any of the lists.

VamGuy

<< <i> Additionally, there is a sizable population of specialists who also pursue newer rarities not represented on any of the lists. >>

...like the long winded freak who posted above Coxe.

slipgate

What is means is that there are 365,780 different documented Morgan dollar mint errors. Although some books will list this number as 365,781. I like to think our mint has better quality control so I go with the lower number.

They have found that there are 100 "top" mint errors, by top, they mean they occur on more than one coin, like in some cases 2 coins - believe it or not, some of these can actually be seen with the human eye! But others require a loop, a microscope or frequently an electron microscope. Several even needed carbon 14 dating and DNA samples to detect.

I hope this helps!

nesvt

<< <i>What is means is that there are 365,780 different documented Morgan dollar mint errors. >>



VAMs are not mint errors, though mint errors are VAMs.

pontiacinf

<< <i>

<< <i>I know very little about VAM's, and have been curious.

While I'm at it, how do they determine the numbering of VAM's? >>



>>



oh great swami, what will tomorrow's lottery numbers be...

MAD4MORGANS

<< <i>Additionally, there is a sizable population of specialists who also pursue newer rarities not represented on any of the lists. >>



I guess you might consider one of these areas the "Fun with 1921 Denver Morgan Dollars".

Here many 1921 D coins are sought after because of Die Cracks and Breaks that occurred nearing a dies terminal state.

Some have big chunks remaining:



Letters missing or partially missing:



Or other cool die break patterns as shown here at Rob Joyce’s 1921D website:

Rob Joyce's 1921D Webpage

1921obsession

<< <i>

<< <i> Additionally, there is a sizable population of specialists who also pursue newer rarities not represented on any of the lists. >>

...like the long winded freak who posted above Coxe. >>



Yeah, and thanks to people like you, I'm having to rename my files (each coin gets its' own file, named by VAM) almost weekly. Would you mind laying off the new VAM's for at least a week while I catch up?

sadysta1

actually it's VAM TOP 97, 3 of them turned up to be counterfits

VamGuy

<< <i>actually it's VAM TOP 97, 3 of them turned up to be counterfits >>

...and PCGS was the last of the top three to acknowledge that fact.