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 Replies: 18 / Views: 4,215 |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
if you've seen my recent silver dollar thread, you know I've been interested in morgan and Peace dollars lately, but I'm still very much a newbie to vamming. so heres my question. do you VAM every morgan and Peace dollar you buy? or should I just look it over, and if I dont find anything out of the ordinary, just let it be? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1316 Posts |
I suppose my question is how much of stickler for details are you, and how fascinated are you by these details? The majority of the VAMs require looking for very small details, and many of the "varieties" are very minor. The coins with the issues somewhat visible to the naked eye such as long die cracks and major die clashes / OMM / RPM / OMM are going to be most likely to carry a premium.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7390 Posts |
Some do VAM every one they see be it in hand or in threads *cough, dave700, cough* but for me it starts out with knowing the minut details of the design inside and out which only comes with time. Once you know how vamming works it's quite easy to narrow down a morgan using date & mm positions and going from there. I usually only compare to list vams at first and if no match then I'll put it in my " VAM later" pile. Peace dollars I'm not as familiar with but I check them for list vams too (most peace vams of value are doubled dies or gnarly die cracks/breaks) I suggest buying the VAM bible... "The comprehensive catalog and encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace dollars" and start reading  Assimilation should be complete in no time  Edited by Cascade
12/28/2015 08:22 am
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
I don't collect Peace dollars at this time but every Morgan dollar I purchase now is under the microscope to figure what die pair/ die state it is. Sometimes I know what VAM it is before I even receive it(pronounced cherry pick - you know this one well Cascade) other times I'm at my desk with coin in hand searching through VAM listings to figure it out. At his point I would suggest you put any Morgan aside that stumps you after a reasonable period of time as Cascade suggests. Don't give up on them, just keep VAMming. I still have a bunch that I purchased years ago that have stumped me after several attempts. The more you do it the more it will make sense to you and the method of sequence will make become second nature and you will save huge chunks of time by not searching out of order. The VAM elders have done a phenomenal job with the sort options in the VAMworld listings. Welcome to the madness... Edited by dave700x
12/28/2015 09:12 am
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Valued Member
 United States
486 Posts |
ok, so I just started to look at my morgans, so I pulled out my 78 s first. I went on vamworld and it looks like it is VAM 1. it has the doubled 7 and broken 4th right star. then I realized on the page that it says likely does not exist... what does that mean? is that due to the reverse die not existing, because my obverse matched the description. also my liberty looks doubled. I have to go to work now so when I get home ill read your replies and look again. thanks in advance. |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
also I was able to get the comprehensive catalog and enciclopedia of morgan and Peace dollars for only $35 on ebay |
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Valued Member
United States
311 Posts |
Can someone help me out on vamming, I looked up the definition and understand it a lil, but I don't understand how coins with cracks and etc. Would command a higher price.
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
Some dies only made a select amount of coins before being retired, so the coins it struck are rare. If you have any further questions it would be better off to start your own thread so your question will get the proper attention
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
Quote:ok, so I just started to look at my morgans, so I pulled out my 78 s first. I went on VAMworld and it looks like it is VAM 1. it has the doubled 7 and broken 4th right star. then I realized on the page that it says likely does not exist... what does that mean? Your coin exhibits two very common details for '78-S. You need to click on the attribution guide and figure out what the "r" in trust looks like. Start here http://www.vamworld.com/1878-S+...43;Varieties and if you like, post some photos and we'll help out. Edited by dave700x
12/28/2015 7:25 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1314 Posts |
Quote:do you VAM every morgan and Peace dollar you buy? Years ago I bought a silver dollar every paycheck. Later when I got interested in VAMs I tried to identify every one. I still can't. Some were just too worn to see a faint doubling or such. Some I lacked the skill to identify. And some I lacked the confidence to treat as a new discovery and pursue it. A few of those have since been "discovered" by others even though I've been sitting on one for a long time. I feel VAMming is much like doing crossword puzzles. It takes time, skill and perseverance. The rewards must come from within, though there is a lot of support from other VAMmers. Quote:
how coins with cracks and etc. Would command a higher price. They almost always don't. Some VAMs can command a huge price, but most don't. It is much like art or fashion. It is fantastic because "he" said it's fantastic. His opinion is valued because "we" say his opinion is valued. If you are a mature and knowledgable person, you'll see through all this and find what makes you happy. You have already done this when you look at car or gun magazines. Yes, the new XYZ is the rage, but in a little while, something else will replace it. In the mean time, a few classics will always be popular. |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
ok so the 4th star is broken, and the r is unbroken. I'm still a little confused about the VAM 1 thing... is VAM 1 always just the normal die, but sometimes it doesn't exist because all dies have abnormalities? |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
ok so my coin has a doubled liberty, so I know what section to look under. if you were in this situation what would you do to narrow down the possibilities? should I just go through each VAM in that section 1 by 1? |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
OK, broken 4th star, "r" in trust unbroken and doubled liberty narrows the choices down to 29 listings. It's time to match up the reverse die by the engraved wing feathers below the Eagle's right wing (viewer's left) using this guide. http://www.vamworld.com/4th+Ri...043;Location |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
looks like I found it! VAM 30 seems to be a match with a B2r reverse, doubled nostril and eyelid, quadrupled liberty, and the MM seems to be correct just by eyeing it. let me know if you see anything that would tell you its not VAM 30, and ill look again. thank you so much for your help and your book recommendation (should arrive in about a week ) |
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
oops the book was recommended by cascade. thank you all for you're help!
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Replies: 18 / Views: 4,215 |
Posted 12/28/2015 08:18 am
