VAM Rarity Question

So what ' is ' the true rarity of vam-1 (R-3, I-2) with the side note of "probably does not exist"?

Well Gene, now that we have defined 'rarity', ......or maybe we didn't.....I don't remember, and I'm to lazy to go back through all of this stuff to try to find it,,,,

Anyway maybe we should now focus on defining the word ' merit ', which seems to have been thrown around rather loosely lately.

Yes interesting Gene, although I think that you may have meant something more like:

I find that Vam-1's are harder too find then the "rarer type's" IMO The newbie list looks like it maybe a good thing. The reasons for it had been posted and I agree on most.

The first being it will teach what too look for and how, on easier to ID coins that are neat but some what common.

And second it will not be a list that someone will go out of there way to have a Top Pop peeing match at

First I have heard of the new list. Hopefully it 'will' be a positive thing. I realize that I may appear as the eternal skeptic on a lot of things like this..... I do feel ashamed of myself at times.

Some folks look at me as a business person, which I am not, not directly anyway. I do understand basic business strategies, pre-marketing initiatives, gimmicking, consumer targeting, packaging, presentation (carrot & stick), pricing, advertising, and several immoral necessities that restrict my desire for involvement.

I will be interested to find out if the collectors or the dealers are spearheading the thrust of this drive for a new list. Collector involvement may provide the necessary checks and balances to ensure a list that is newbie friendly.

Out side of the 1878's, a true VAM 1 may not exist. A generic VAM 1 is a VAM without any distinquishing features (technically a normal coin).

I believe VAM 1 is used as a default number. When you can't VAM a coin, viola, VAM 1.

With better imaging equipment and with photography in the digital age, coins that were previously vams are getting new listings. Call it a case of VAMflation if you will. The die is the die, and while many other unlisted attributes were not thought worhty to be listable, now with digital cameras and steromicroscope, are being listed.

I have a an 1883-O VAM 52 that is concave on both obverse and reverse. It is the only concave listing for 1883-O.
What is interesting is when I sent this in the Leroy, and it got a revision, due to the coin being concave on either side, this wasn't previously reported. So I did a little numismatic forensics.
The discovery went to Larry Galbraith in 2005. I contacted him about his discovery coin which he unfortunately doesn't have anymore. I asked him if his coin was concave? His reply was he didn't remember it being concave.

Interesting Oz.... While some years of vam_1 may indeed be non existent, your concave pairing causes me to wonder if other years may have a dozen or so die pairings all listed as vam-1 caused by their present indistinguishable similarities..... I think that I asked this earlier somewhere.

What is up with these Not Assigned vams or Not Otherwise listed vams, or whatever they are called? Are they unlisted because the identifying marks are not strong enough to list? Does the strength of the marker dictate a go / no go status as far as designations go?

I would imagine that the line would need to be drawn somewhere, especially since very minute differences must separate many dies.

The sheer magnitude of numbers of die pair possibilities is hitting me like a freight train all of a sudden.

ZEEEEE OMG
Can't believe you saved that!! That was my inside joke on the vaming thing back then,, and I also remember the hint occasional yours your 2 fingers.. after all I am very, quite sure That I had no more than 2 .......six packs.......or so?
WE did make "some" good friends, after all its not what you don't get from life as we move on. its what we do get that's worth keeping!!


Hey I love this spell checker!