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Heritage Auctions

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New Member
United States
47 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  12:46 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mhburton to your friends list
I too, have bought a few items from Heritage and have been very happy with them. A couple of Silver Certs. and a 1921-S Morgan. No killer deals yet, but I will keep my eyes open.
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United States
23522 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  4:14 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SsuperDdave to your friends list
A real "killer" is unlikely at Heritage, because there you're bidding against collectors just as knowledgeable as yourself. I know a dozen guys off the top of my head who check every Morgan dollar at Heritage for VAM's - if you win one from a Heritage auction, it's because none of the experts wanted it badly enough.

I've made a couple decent buys there, but only from their Buy It Now category, and even then only because I got the coin within 24 hours of it hitting the market.

Valued Member
United States
382 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  4:24 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add zakgold to your friends list
I have had good experiences with Heritage. Best buy? A 1931-D Lincoln PCGS MS64RD for $100.50.

Best part of Heritage and being a member is that it is FREE!

Their "My Collection" online software which instantly tracks your collection provides data of who (number of) has expressed interest in your given coin)s), and better yet...seeing how much your coin is retailing and wholesaling for!!

Sure it takes time to enter this stuff. But you can easily print it up at anytime and even export all of the important stuff back into a excel spreadsheet. I print up my collection every quarter so it is current. This way, if something should happen to me, my family knows exactly what they have and how much it is worth.
Edited by zakgold
06/29/2006 4:27 pm
Valued Member
United States
67 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  4:32 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Diane to your friends list
quote:
Most of Heritage's pictures are a little bright but once you learn how to interpret those you can definately find ALOT of VAM's that are unattributed in unheard of grades.


Please tell me what are VAMs.

Thanks
Forum Kid
Kuwait
1523 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  4:42 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add thekidcollector to your friends list
But the thing in the subscription says I have to be over 18

:(
TKC!
Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  5:30 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add longnine009 to your friends list
quote:
Originally posted by Diane

quote:
Most of Heritage's pictures are a little bright but once you learn how to interpret those you can definately find ALOT of VAM's that are unattributed in unheard of grades.


Please tell me what are VAMs.

Thanks



A VAM is attributation number assigned to Morgan and Peace dollar varieties. It's named after Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis who wrote the book about them sometime in the 70's. Varities are small things that make one die different from other dies. The Wisconsin "Extra leaf" quarter is a variety. VAMs are pretty popular especially with Morgan collectors but it seems they can get kind a pricy. Such as the "Wild-Eyes" spikes. The spikes look to me to be just some die breaks under the eyes. Still, one sold back in 2001 for over $7,000.
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 Posted 06/29/2006  5:30 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add longnine009 to your friends list
Double post
Edited by longnine009
06/29/2006 5:33 pm
Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  5:31 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add biokemist6 to your friends list
quote:
Originally posted by Diane

quote:
Most of Heritage's pictures are a little bright but once you learn how to interpret those you can definately find ALOT of VAM's that are unattributed in unheard of grades.


Please tell me what are VAMs.

Thanks



VAMs are varieties of Morgan and Peace dollars. VAM is the initials of the authors of the authoritative book on the subject, Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis.
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Canada
1152 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  5:34 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add pattiewhack to your friends list
quote:
Originally posted by Bryan1315

I have bought many many things from heritage and have always been happy with my purchases, just wish I could say the same about ebay. Most of Heritage's pictures are a little bright but once you learn how to interpret those you can definately find ALOT of VAM's that are unattributed in unheard of grades.



just one thing, ould someone please tell me what VAM means?
andrew
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Canada
1152 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  5:36 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add pattiewhack to your friends list
ok please disregard my question... I didnt read the entire thread!
andrew
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United States
14454 Posts
 Posted 06/29/2006  6:33 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Bryan1315 to your friends list
I bought the 1 of 1 VAM-84 in MS-65 on Heritage it was unattributed and have seen a few in higher grades than that but just couldn't afford them at the time. By the way the highest grade before I sent this one in for attribution was a MS-64 and that was the highest graded at the big 3 none was higher than 64
Valued Member
United States
67 Posts
 Posted 06/30/2006  11:13 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Diane to your friends list
And what does attributed/unattributed mean, please?

quote:
I bought the 1 of 1 VAM-84 in MS-65 on Heritage it was unattributed and have seen a few in higher grades than that but just couldn't afford them at the time. By the way the highest grade before I sent this one in for attribution was a MS-64 and that was the highest graded at the big 3 none was higher than 64
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 Posted 06/30/2006  11:32 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SsuperDdave to your friends list
quote:
Originally posted by Diane

And what does attributed/unattributed mean, please?

quote:
I bought the 1 of 1 VAM-84 in MS-65 on Heritage it was unattributed and have seen a few in higher grades than that but just couldn't afford them at the time. By the way the highest grade before I sent this one in for attribution was a MS-64 and that was the highest graded at the big 3 none was higher than 64




That means whether or not the coin has been "outed" - identified as a particular variety, and either slabbed as such or at least advertised that way. The third-party graders are just beginning to identify VAM's on their slabs, and there's still a whole lot of Morgans out there which haven't been identified as the error coins they truly are.
Valued Member
United States
67 Posts
 Posted 06/30/2006  2:21 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Diane to your friends list
quote:
The third-party graders are just beginning to identify VAM's on their slabs, and there's still a whole lot of Morgans out there which haven't been identified as the error coins they truly are.


Wow! Thanks, SuperDave! I had no idea.

I bought Bowers' Guide Book of Morgan silver dollars, because I have a few. I thought a whole book on one coin ought to tell me everything I needed to know. But now I realize I don't really know what I have.

How can I find out about VAMs?
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23522 Posts
 Posted 06/30/2006  4:02 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SsuperDdave to your friends list
quote:
Originally posted by Diane
Wow! Thanks, SuperDave! I had no idea.

I bought Bowers' Guide Book of Morgan silver dollars, because I have a few. I thought a whole book on one coin ought to tell me everything I needed to know. But now I realize I don't really know what I have.

How can I find out about VAMs?



The Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars, by Van Allen and Malis, remains the authoritative writing on the subject. It's an incredible source of information, over 500 pages of wealth. However, it was last printed in 1992. It's still the book to have if you only have one book on Morgans. It's hard to find, and not cheap when you find it. Make sure you get the 4th Edition if you pull the trigger.

Leroy Van Allen is still naming new VAM's to this day. He is the man who decides, because it's his initials on them.

Here's the listing of VAM's identified since 1992:

http://www.ashmore.com/vamupdate/92...Flisting.htm

There's also a great photographic compilation of them, but I don't like linking to that because the owner of the website, "Ash" Ashmore, is paying for the (huge) bandwidth out of his own pocket. That fact seems to be getting ignored by many who have linked to the archive without mention of compensating Mr. Van Allen for his work (which is how Ashmore wishes it done). There are also printed updates available from Mr. Van Allen himself; prices and instructions are available at the Ashmore site.

Your next-best method for finding out about VAM's is to post here. There are a few real devotees here, and they (we ) are happy to help because it helps us learn also.

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