VAMworld is Ground Zero for VAMming - the central repository of
VAM information and discussion. Pretty much all new research and discoveries are presented at VAMworld first, and it's the archive for
VAM information. Many CCF VAMmers are also members and contributors there, myself included, and more than a few have joined here after already being members there.
I can see what's left of the gouge under AM in your coin, as well as the one on the wing - yours is a pretty worn example, and a late die state, so they won't be as strong as they're shown on the VAMworld page. 3A is the LDS (Late Die State) version of VAM-3, most clearly evidenced by the complete fill yours shows of the G in God. Understanding a die is a negative of the coin struck, the metal forming the center of the G has simply broken off due to excessive use, leaving the center on the coin filled with metal.
PCGS does not attribute very many VAMs - it's a point of irritation to many VAMmers. They will only attribute VAM-3, not 3A (and to illustrate, that's the only 1879-CC
VAM they'll attribute). When it comes to slabbing attributed VAMs, you've only two top-tier choices:
1) ANACS. John Roberts, ANACS' Director of Attribution Services, is one of the greatest living
VAM experts. ANACS attributes
every single VAM; heck, when a new Discovery comes out, John is likely the one to get the Discovery Coin to slab it.
2) John Baumgart's Variety Slabbing Service, VSS (varslab.com). John is another top-tier VAMmer and attributor; he attributes and encapsulates raw Morgans (he does not grade) in his own slabs. Whatever variety he says your coin is, it
is.
Let's not even talk about NGC. Their Research Director, David Lange, called VAMmers "weenies" in a published review earlier this year; NGC attributes a limited subset of VAMs (with graphically-varying degrees of success) and does not even guarantee the attribution.
Posted 09/01/2013 9:31 pm
