1890-CC VAM

Coxe

Picked up some cool coins at the post office today. The best was an 1890-CC. I have looked at hundreds of this date looking for a high grade VAM-9A only to find two very low grade examples: 1 decent VG and the other a polished VG. That was until a about a week ago. I was hurriedly browsing online lots before an auction closed. Just before giving up on beating the clock, I found this one, a PCGS 62. I had just told Leroy a couple days before that I wondered if the variety was counterfeit, like the micro o ones, since it was only found in low grade and was in very small numbers. It is indeed quite rare.

DennisH

Nice!!

Congratulations on an excellent find!

HighRelief

A very nice pick up with the Vam 9A and congratulations on finding such a nice MS example. You need a good eye when you are looking for small die cracks like this.

Do you have the Vam 4 in your collection?

Type2

Are all Die cracks vam

Coxe

I have a few VAM-4 tailbars in lower grades. I think the 9A is MUCH rarer than the 4. It seems to be the key variety for the date and isn't on any hit lists.

The break is pretty neat, between the 1st two left stars. On my higher grade specimen, I see severlal other things I will pass along to Leroy to see if they are interesting enough. It was clashed at one point, something not obvious at all in the low grade ones. It is obvious from his photo in the last update that the discovery coin too was a very low grade specimen. He surely designated it because the near date made it consistent with VAM-9 as a parent. I sent him a similar break for another date, between the 2nd and 3rd left stars, but he wouldn't designate because the low grade prevented him from being able to determine the parentage. It wasn't as simple as being a near date. (Still am looking for a higher grade one of that other one.)

Coxe

<< <i>Are all Die cracks vam >>



No, they actually rarely if ever are designated specifically as a newer VAM because of cracks. It has to have significant breaks. However, all Morgan and Peace dollars are VAMs, most are not significant ones. (A VAM is a designation of a distinctly determined die pair or significant state of a die pair.)

Type2

Got it, I have some Morgans CC that have Die cracks all around the Rim and did not know if they are vam's, i'll go to the safe and get one and if you can let me know that will be great, I dont know much on Morgan's.

Type2

This is them

Coxe

That is a pretty common 84-CC and not a different VAM because of the cracks. I see at least one of them in every auction.

This 1884-CC VAM (VAM-7A) is the one to watch for.

Type2

Back to the safe, Thanks