1878 8TF Morgan Dollar VAM-16 Or Not VAM-16 That Is The Question

You have much more of a collection than I have! But I have been thrilled with what I have and can't get enough of it. Becky will know what to look for, in the mean time I must go to bed. Keep looking, I'm sure there is lots to find on this coin. Be in touch tommorow. Thanks

Is this a common thing to just have doubling or tripling in just the stars on the 1878 8Tf? Because I dont realy see it anywhere else as prominent as I do on the stars. If its a common thing I wont waiste anymore of all of your timeI was just excited to actually see somethingthat wasnt on all the other morgans I have in my collection

Believe me Bryan1315, you are not wasting my time. I can tell you the Morgan that Becky, nesvt, Mark Kimpton, and many more who helped narrrow down the VAM variety, is probably a VAM 20. Thats in the HOT 50! Please don't discard or loose sight of this coin. I have so much to learn about VAMS, but it's a real good time I have to look a bit more at some of your photos, but as I say I can see tripling on the stars, Doubling on LIBERTY, Doubling( possibly tripling ) of the Date. So I too am waiting to see any more input from the experts. But I did find that the more I looked, the more I found.
By the way, I'm 36 also so we may have seen each other before I used to play pool at the only service station at a major intersection in B.C. .

I guess this thread has hit a brick wall maybe I will come up with something that will strike a fire under some people someday

Well I got my Encyclopedia Of Morgan & Peace dollars today and this coin has everything that a vam-117 has but this is a 8TF so that cant be correct. But it says a vam-117 has doubled liberty shifted right, Doubled E,P and R in E Pluribus, Doubled 2,3 and 4 stars on the left and doubled 1-5 stars on the right (number 2 is tripled and is one of the best examples of a tripled star)1 in date is doubled on the left side of stem, and a incomplete band in cap. I could be wrong but I will do more research after I get back from picking up my 5 year old from school today. I think I am going to buy the 8Tf book also because this one is a little confusing to me but maybe when I sit down to realy read the whole thing everything may just fall into place. But anyway I guess I am no closer to finding anything out about this coin than I was before the book got here so the quest continues

Here is the pictures and what it says about the VAM-16: ATTRIBUTION INSIGHTS: Because of the rehubbing of a second design type over atleast one other, This type II/I Obverse shows characteristicly strong doubling on many obverse features, including LIBERTY. But it's the spectacular tripling on the stars to the left of the date that is the key identifier here. Most of the other Obverse stars also show doubling and/or tripling, as well. In adition, there are two die stages of this Obverse, an early die state, which does not display a die chip on the left side of the first "8" in the date between the upper and lower loops, and a later die state with the die chip. VAM 16's are considered common in all grades, but can neverthless be elusive, particularly in grades above MS-63.

This is a early die state because it lacks the die chip on the first "8" in the date between the upper and lower loops. Here are the pictures I took showing all the attributes of the coin




Image:

I am going to go out on a limb here and submit this one as a vam-16 and let them sort it out I guess. If it comes back as a vam-16 I will know I was correct if it doesn't I will know they have some crazy graders at NGC

WOW!! What An Eye Openinig Experience!! Thanks Guys!![:p]