The most popular/famous Vam?
joeykoins
Posts: 17,564 ✭✭✭✭✭
This question might have been posted before,but I was wondering,what the VAM experts think? Myself,not a VAM expert,I would say the 1900- 0/CC. Where does my VAM rank in the List? ( popular /famous )?
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.0
Comments
This one I think.
Photography by BluCC
I wish more tailbars were as nice and frosty as the one above!!!
1878 VAM 44, named "King of VAMs" years ago.
1888-O VAM 4 "Hot Lips" (shown in DorkGirl's picture)
1888-O VAM 1B "Scarface"
Even with the VAM market not being too hot right now, these coins continue to bring top dollar at auctions.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Other VAMs that enjoy significant crossover popularity by mainstream Morgan collectors are the 1888-O "Hot Lips", 1901-P "Shifted Eagle", and 1890-CC "Tailbar". The 1878 VAM 44 is getting there, but is still mostly pursued by VAM collectors.
Things like the various 1900-O/CCs, 1887/6-P and O, and 1879-CC Capped Die have been in the Greysheet for years and don't really qualify for this discussion in the same way that the VAMs mentioned above do.
<< <i>What about the 1880/79-CC rev 78 (VAM 4)? You get a variety on both the obverse and reverse, all visible with just the naked eye. >>
Who would ever want to own one of those?
well i'd like to nominate the 79-cc large over small cc vam-3a if i may
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1) Carson City Mint
2) Reverse of 1878 (The entire Reverse - 50% of the coin) consitutes the variety - Easy for aging collector eyes to spot!
3) 80/79 Clearly visible 2 digit Overdate (See Photo Below)
4) Even Better in Prooflike!
1880/79-CC (Reverse of 1878) NGC-63 (VAM-4) Morgan Dollar
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
My personal favorite is the 1921-S Thornheads
This is my VAM 1B6
Member, Society of Silver Dollar Collectors.
Looking for PCGS AU58+ 1901-P, 1896-O, & 1894-O
First see the write up below of the Thorn Heads by Leroy Van Allen.
The Rarity with PCGS, NGC, and ANACS is about 200-250 have been certified.
The one I have here, I found. This is the only one I have ever found. It is an AU58.
VAM World write up
Here is the VAM World Write Up:
"COMMENTS: Leroy Van Allen wrote an excellent article entitled "An Amazing Dollar Die" telling the story about the 1921-S VAM-1B dollar that has 5 distinct die states known as gouges appear and are polished off in multiple places! This story of these dies was unusual enough to warrant publication in the June 2003 edition of the ANA Numismatist Magazine (page 43). Since that article appeared, FIVE more die states have been found for a total of TEN unique states for this one die pair, with the most recent discovery being made in March 2011!
The obverse die of the 1921 S Morgan silver dollar variety VAM 1B, Thorn Head series underwent an amazing number of changes... At some point during this obverse die lifetime, it received two large die gouges at the top and back of the Phrygian cap plus two small die gouges. But that was just the beginning of a series of damages on this obverse die at the San Francisco Mint. Subsequent damage of the die added six more deep and large die gouges in the fields plus two more in the denticles. There are now nine known distinct die gouge states of this obverse die with various number and strengths of the twelve die gouges. And to cap it off, the reverse die also shows two significant die gouges with the last three obverse die gouge states!
All the VAM-1B coins share the same characteristic die gouge between the leaf and the cap. It is visible with the naked eye and is useful when checking a lot of coins while cherry-picking."
Member, Society of Silver Dollar Collectors.
Looking for PCGS AU58+ 1901-P, 1896-O, & 1894-O
<< <i>If I had to pick one, probably the 1888-O Hot Lips. >>
Agree---a DDO with a neat name.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
<< <i>Joey: Actually the most famous VAM of all is Leroy Van Allen the VA in VAM!!
Great answer Stuart! your right.
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.<< <i>Are bugs bunny, donkey tail and accented hair VAM's? >>
VAM numbers are specifically designated to Morgan and Peace dollars and the acronym VAM comes from the two folks Van Allen and Mallis.
As mentioned, Bugs refers to the Franklin Half Dollar series and designated as such, because when the obverse and reverse dies clashed, and subsequently struck new planchets, the clash left an apparent image of Bugs Bunny teeth on Ben Franklin's profile.
The Accented Hair is a Kennedy and is not VAM eligible.
1888 O Scarface TDS MS-62 photos from the Heritage auction I won it at.
1900 o/cc MS-63
My favorite is the scarface TDS, but it's a close second for the 1878-P Vam 44 and the 1900 o/cc
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
<< <i>RawMorgan: You should upload either the Scarface or Triple Blossom photo as your forum user icon the next time they open up that option.
it is open now and has been for months
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"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.