Where Will It All Stop.

Offhand I think there are 2/3 of the 85's and one 86, Bryan could tell us exactly what they are...

Bryan, I know you are one of the "go to " people for the 1878 Morgan info, Thanks for your input, PS, I bet you are still thanking Santa for the early last year present!!

yes I agree, the VAM-85 and VAM-86 (now that SD has opened my eyes about it) is now what I would call die poop by any standards because not only are the cracks different, they are a entirely different Die Pairing from any other known VAM's. So if that's die poop I will take every coin anyone has that meets that criteria

Bump. Good topic. Its far harder to kill a VAM than it is to list one.

thought it was a good read . I read it for the first time. And I had something to say. Is there a problem in that?

Stop? But why? The main thing to consider when researching Vams...
IS:.... ITS an on-going study......
STUDY OF EXACTLY WHAT?.........
The reality is, it is the study of NOT ONLY the fundamental of the characteristics of what makes a VAM worth a designation from its attribution points...PER SAY...clashing die doubling ECT...
THIS is Vamming at its BASIC perameters......
There is a reason why Vamming has developed into the
"Theory of DIE PROGRESSIONS"....

These basic perameters which are the fundamentals of what is listable for attributions. are just that...VAM 101...
However...when one looks at the greater picture....beyond the basics..
"It is obvious" there is more than just the errors produced from
the beginning mint run.......
During the dies lifespan...it has been paired with other dies than the original die pair......The pairing are found after many years of study....these studies show the effects of the dies life and changes/polishings and corrections/later clashing's ECT...
Many a specific year and date and mint mark...show very little known from the normal known errors...This is where the die poop comes into play.....
While many object to this die poop....this category could be---placed into a general LDS category..except the fans will not except a general LDS category...DUE TO ONE THING.....
how many are KNOWN.......FOR ANY category......FOR ANY COIN's
attribution.....

"For instance...There are many a coin whose known variety"
HAVE FEW KNOWN. but they are not of the collective hives want list...... Perhaps it comes down to the haves and have not's..who knows... ONE MUST CONSIDER THE GREATER VIEW OF WHAT VAMMING IS about......
To some..its about the fundamentals.......
Too others....its about...something discovered, that is an earlier known example, or perhaps a later known example of a KNOWN VAM.
this is where the die progressions get into play....normally a study
with help from others to compile many coins for a certain year and mint mark....This study will encapsule the known vams for the specific target and include.....many other questionables......
many times these questionables with all t he die poo[p will find themselves integrated into some known vams die progression that has not been seen or figured out yet......THIS IS PART OF the equation of vams......
1878P VAM 85 had been figured VAM 80 for EVER.......disconnected leave... "A sharp eye.."
...Found that
die poop/ different die pair....ECT later in the dies life..perhaps early? The die cracks...proved the difference in the dies life......JUST AS the same as some rare Die Cuds are known...
JUST MY THOUGHTS ...... Gene

In response to the first question. In my own opinion, die variety collecting is a choice of degree. Do you want to collect a single coin design ( Morgan dollar) and all its varieties or do you simply choose to collect those with the most interesting or unusual differences. For some years I collected Morgan and Peace dollar varieties but about one year ago I decided to keep only the die varieties most interesting to me. Thus over 200 dollar coins were sold. Much of the proceeds went back into my collection for the purchase of Trade and Seated Liberty dollars.

As for the proliferation of recognized VAM varieties, does this not help to remove thousands of Morgan and Peace dollars from the market and into a collectors' hands. This of course raises the value of the remaining coins in the market and increases the value of our own collections. After all, Morgan dollars are hardly rare and its continued popularity with the casual to advanced collector has benefited many of us economically. If rarity were the true reason for collecting would we not all try to collect Seated Liberty quarters from 1879-1890?