HELP! my head is starting to bleed identifying this VAM Morgan $

[dooly]

Hi all..

 

PLEASE HELP ME !!

 

my head is done in searching for this VAM 1904 O Morgan dollar on VAM world..

 

a am stuck between 1-B, 4-A and 5-A as the one i have acquired has all the listed VAM's and more to boot !!!

 

hear are the pictures "What is it"

 

Obverse: Normal (as far as i can tell)

 

Reverse: Showing Die cracks in black

 

Close up of Major polishing and pitted OL

 

Even closer picture of the Polishing and pitting

 

Close up of Heavy polishing around legs etc.. and possible doubling of arrows

 

Close up of polishing of wings (will not scan very well)

 

Close up of Die Gouge next to eleventh feather

 

Close up of polishing inside WE of in god we trust..

 

Sorry about how many pictures but there is that much going on with this coin

 

when i have looked at Vam world there is no mention of Die cracks associated with the vams listed or the Die polishing inside WE, doubling of the arrows and i can see no polishing on the tail feathers on my coin. unless they mean all the polishing above the shafts of the arrows..

 

please take the time to examine the pictures and if you can come up with any ideas it will be most helpful .. or should i send it in for Grading and variety plus ??

 

all the best and thanks for your time

 

dooly (thumbs u

[cpm9ball]

Dooly, die cracks in and of themselves usually are not justification for the assignment of a VAM. The same is also the general rule for die polishing. Oftentimes, they are merely used as markers to identify another, more important variety. If there is any doubling on the arrows, it appears to be machine doubling.

 

I can't comment on the pitting other than to say that, in my opinion, I don't feel any coin should receive this designation just because it was struck using a rusty old die.

 

Chris

[MorganMan]

I will catch some flak for what I am about to say, but I at one time started working on some of the VAMs.

 

But after a couple of years at it, I have come to realize that VAM's are nothing more than a hodgepodge of whatever SOMEONE upstairs wants them to be.

 

I just quit.

 

I got tired of seeing major die cracks thumbed off as "just a die crack" but yet some minute little polishing mark making a VAM.

 

I think it started out as a good thing, but they went way overboard with the idea....and with NO consistency.

 

Good example:

 

This coin is a so called HOT 50, yet this pitted U is the only marker, yet your pits are nothing, plus you have die cracks? See what I mean.

 

 

OR

 

This is one I have. It is similiar to the hottest VAM there is, plus some wild die cracks, but was passed off as common and nothing to it.

 

 

You will run yourself crazy with these things. Just give it up and go to major attributions.

 

 

MM

[SuperDave]

1B. The gouge to the right of the wing is the kicker.

[cpm9ball]

 

MM

 

You won't get any flak from me. I still don't believe that pitting from rusty dies should be important enough for ANY attribution. I think its "the pits"!

 

I do have one question about your first image, MM. When did they move the "S" mintmark to the place near the "U"?

 

Chris

[RGT]

 

MM

 

You won't get any flak from me. I still don't believe that pitting from rusty dies should be important enough for ANY attribution. I think its "the pits"!

 

I do have one question about your first image, MM. When did they move the "S" mintmark to the place near the "U"?

 

Chris

 

That's a new variety, the "misplaced mini micro-S". It will be in the new "VAM Up-and-Coming 33" book.