I just found my first 
Posted 09/11/2012 09:23 am
Kellyk and WVUcoins,
Of course! That's why this community exists and why all of us signed up and participate.
There's a ton of printed resource material available for a price. Check C. Logan Mckecknie's Vamsandmore webpage for a list and offering of most of these authoritative references.
A note first off ... all Morgan and Peace dollars are VAMs. Being able to attribute the correct VAM number is the hard (and fun) part. My technique is to narrow the search to particular years and mints. I have hundreds of 1878 Morgans (my favorite year), plus 1880-P and O, 1891-O, 1900-O and 1921-D.
When I look at coins online, I scan for key attributes for that year and mint. For example on the 1878 8TF coins I look at the engraved feathers between the wings and legs first to ID the reverse die used. If I note a potential keeper, I download the photos and enlarge the image (right-click, save-as, then use MS Office Viewer to enlarge or tweak the image ... lighten/darken, contrast, etc.). On non-BU coins this is a must. Some of my best finds have been done this way from less-than-stellar seller images on ebay. Once enhanced, those hidden features kind of pop out.
Another group I scrutinize is the 1878-S. The key points are: Long nock or short nock; 'r' in Trust broken or unbroken; and fourth right star broken, unbroken. I view the reverse first and note the first two pick-up points (PUPs), then the obverse to note the star. I can narrow the coin to a much smaller group with these features. I also scan the area between the right wing and eagle's body (funky feathers) and the eagle's right wing (viewer's left) for the 18/18A (see twohawks most recent acquisition ... "I got mine").
You will need to learn these PUPs for each year and mint you are interested in. The VAMWorld pages many times offer a sort feature for these major PUPs (it's a hyperlink on the page). Click on these and most of the organizing is done for you.
Lastly ... keep at it! The more you put into your search and research the more knowledge and skill you will gain. There are times when I'm about to give up after looking at hundreds of coins and finding nothing of interest ... then a real treasure (they come in groups) will appear that makes it all worthwhile. Join the group at VAMWorld and share with the community. You'll gain more than you give unless you are a squirrel with a disability (he works too hard).
Of course! That's why this community exists and why all of us signed up and participate.
There's a ton of printed resource material available for a price. Check C. Logan Mckecknie's Vamsandmore webpage for a list and offering of most of these authoritative references.
A note first off ... all Morgan and Peace dollars are VAMs. Being able to attribute the correct VAM number is the hard (and fun) part. My technique is to narrow the search to particular years and mints. I have hundreds of 1878 Morgans (my favorite year), plus 1880-P and O, 1891-O, 1900-O and 1921-D.
When I look at coins online, I scan for key attributes for that year and mint. For example on the 1878 8TF coins I look at the engraved feathers between the wings and legs first to ID the reverse die used. If I note a potential keeper, I download the photos and enlarge the image (right-click, save-as, then use MS Office Viewer to enlarge or tweak the image ... lighten/darken, contrast, etc.). On non-BU coins this is a must. Some of my best finds have been done this way from less-than-stellar seller images on ebay. Once enhanced, those hidden features kind of pop out.
Another group I scrutinize is the 1878-S. The key points are: Long nock or short nock; 'r' in Trust broken or unbroken; and fourth right star broken, unbroken. I view the reverse first and note the first two pick-up points (PUPs), then the obverse to note the star. I can narrow the coin to a much smaller group with these features. I also scan the area between the right wing and eagle's body (funky feathers) and the eagle's right wing (viewer's left) for the 18/18A (see twohawks most recent acquisition ... "I got mine").
You will need to learn these PUPs for each year and mint you are interested in. The VAMWorld pages many times offer a sort feature for these major PUPs (it's a hyperlink on the page). Click on these and most of the organizing is done for you.
Lastly ... keep at it! The more you put into your search and research the more knowledge and skill you will gain. There are times when I'm about to give up after looking at hundreds of coins and finding nothing of interest ... then a real treasure (they come in groups) will appear that makes it all worthwhile. Join the group at VAMWorld and share with the community. You'll gain more than you give unless you are a squirrel with a disability (he works too hard).
) is our resident guru on these. The 21-D's are easier with the die crack guides available.
