VAM cherrypick photos and story (1895-S VAM 1A)
DennisH
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I have only been part of one new Morgan dollar VAM discovery: the 1895-S VAM 1A (die crack through D on reverse). This VF25 coin was discovered in my collection in June 2004 by my good buddy Tim Cannard. Leroy Van Allen subsequently confirmed the find and gave it a new VAM number in August 2004. It is still the only new 1895-S VAM discovered since the original printing of "the big VAM book" in 1992.
When Leroy gave the coin the thumbs-up, Tim and I began looking at every 1895-S we could find in the hopes of locating another. Between coin shows, eBay, and the various auction houses, we've looked at well over 1,000 coins so far. To date, only one problem-free example (PCGS graded it F15) and two cleaned ones (they appeared to be XF40 and VF25 in the scans) have turned up on eBay. We have found none in person at shows.
I took on the assignment of searching through the Heritage auction archives, so we could get a further sense of how scarce these are. I found just one: Lot #1201 in the 2002 FUN Show Bullet sale, an XF45 NGC coin that sold for $448.50.
Now fast forward more than two years. Guess what turned up on eBay earlier this month? That's right, the XF45 NGC coin from the Heritage auction. The photos were smaller and much less obvious that the Heritage photos, of course, and there was no mention at all of the crack, but I actually recognized it from the serial number on the holder insert. I was also able to buy the coin for what XF45s of this date go for, and perhaps even a bit less. (In hand the coin is extremely nice for the grade; nice enough to perhaps warrant a try for AU.)
The point to this story is just to say that sometimes coin collectors can fall in love with a particular coin they never actually see in person, but nonetheless become intimately familiar with -- so familiar that they begin to consider it "their coin". It is also to point out that coin collecting is a funny world; sometimes paths cross that you never really see coming.
When Leroy gave the coin the thumbs-up, Tim and I began looking at every 1895-S we could find in the hopes of locating another. Between coin shows, eBay, and the various auction houses, we've looked at well over 1,000 coins so far. To date, only one problem-free example (PCGS graded it F15) and two cleaned ones (they appeared to be XF40 and VF25 in the scans) have turned up on eBay. We have found none in person at shows.
I took on the assignment of searching through the Heritage auction archives, so we could get a further sense of how scarce these are. I found just one: Lot #1201 in the 2002 FUN Show Bullet sale, an XF45 NGC coin that sold for $448.50.
Now fast forward more than two years. Guess what turned up on eBay earlier this month? That's right, the XF45 NGC coin from the Heritage auction. The photos were smaller and much less obvious that the Heritage photos, of course, and there was no mention at all of the crack, but I actually recognized it from the serial number on the holder insert. I was also able to buy the coin for what XF45s of this date go for, and perhaps even a bit less. (In hand the coin is extremely nice for the grade; nice enough to perhaps warrant a try for AU.)
The point to this story is just to say that sometimes coin collectors can fall in love with a particular coin they never actually see in person, but nonetheless become intimately familiar with -- so familiar that they begin to consider it "their coin". It is also to point out that coin collecting is a funny world; sometimes paths cross that you never really see coming.
When in doubt, don't.
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Comments
Cool story and nice snag!
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That's a great story.
-Amanda
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Now we know what to look for.
If I ever find one in Mint State I may pass out! (But once I come to I'l figure out some way to pay for it.)
Leroy gave it an R-6 rating, but I think it's at least a 7. Keep looking!
thewave;
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and
http://www.rjrc.com
<< <i>Coxe:
If I ever find one in Mint State I may pass out! (But once I come to I'l figure out some way to pay for it.)
Leroy gave it an R-6 rating, but I think it's at least a 7. Keep looking! >>
Yeah, there are a few like that one that are probably R-7 or R-8.
A couple similar ones that seem to be nowhere are the 1890-S VAM-1B (crack through R/DOLLAR) and the 1881-S VAM-54 LDS (als crack through D/DOLLAR). Thought I saw an EDS of the 90-S 1B in MS on TT a couple times but didn't chance it.
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