Could Use Some Help On This 1878 Morgan

thanks wornslick. and by second reverse you mean '1879 reverse' ? that is the way Krause lists it, either 1878 or 1879 I think? I'm not at home and don't have access to my catalog.

I believe yours is a Reverse of 1878 due to the parallel top arrow feathers. On the reverse of 1879 the top arrow feather is slanted. Also if I am correct yours has a concave eagles breast where as the 1879 reverse the breast is rounded. The arrow feathers I am talking about are just below the eagles right foot.

It's a B2 second reverse (short arrow nock and parallel top feather). Further examination shows it to have an intact 'r' in trust and an open 'o' in God. Put all those things together and you are looking for in the VAM 140-146 range if you want the variety. I also note a polished nostril and what may be a lump of metal on the 'P' of PLURIBUS ... check VAM 140.

wow! That is all I can say. There is a lot to learn about this coin type I see. I know nothing about Vams but I'm going to dig into it a bit just to better educate myself.

thank you all very much for making the whole tail feathers thing clear. I didn't understand that when I read it and the illustrations in Krause were not that clear that I saw it as nicely as I did here.

And to the condition (acknowledging that the scan is not sharp enough), would the VF-20 be appropriate as suggested.

thanks again

VAM's open a whole new world that can suck you in like a black hole. For 1878 alone there are over 200 different VAM's all have different things about them that makes them unique from the other there are still new ones being discovered, and that is just one date of the whole Morgan series. All Morgan and Peace dollars are a VAM, the fun part is just trying to figure out which one you are looking at. Its bumpy ride at times but what an exciting ride it is when you find something special that either makes a $20.00 purchase worth hundreds of dollars or more or when you fins one that no one else has discovered yet. You just have to hold on tight because its more fun than the fastest roller coaster with just as many turns and loops. Most VAM's do not add value to the coin at all but there are a select few that can be worth thousands of dollars more than its counterparts. Its the search and and the thrill of the hunt that makes this so enticing to most of us