8TF VAMs - Seeking Opinions From The Family Experts

thingee, Keep watching this post and you will! Secrets will be revealed!

Here's some help on the first coin courtesy of a Microsoft application available on PC's.

SuperDave,

That's about as close as I can get without losing definition. You are correct ... it's an A1c reverse. Now what strikes you about that eye?

That caught my attention too!

Now the rest of the story ... I am 99.9% sure that coin is a VAM 14.11 "wild spikes" and worth about $5,000 to $6000 in that condition. It showed up on ebay recently listed by a big volume power seller on a seven day auction. It was simply listed as an 8TF in high AU with a start bid of $.99. To say my adrenaline was pumping would be an understatement! I booked-marked it and made about 10,000 "notes to self" to be available at auction close. I checked it the next day and the auction was ended by the seller due to "an error in the listing". The tears have just now begun to dry up.

Someone either informed the seller that this was a major rarity or offered them a side deal without disclosing it's true value. I'll never know. I posted it here to let the community know what's out there if you are knowledgeable and diligent.

I'll tell you, Dave, based on what I see in those pics I'd probably have gone high for that coin. I haven't heard of anyone bragging on it, but if the seller had friends who knew, the seller himself is the one getting it into a slab.

I've a real estate agent coming in a bit, so I'm unable to sit and attribute the second until later this afternoon. I'll be back.

OK, it looks like everyone is too busy to play, so I'll just divulge the secret identity of coin #2.

This one requires more of a process of elimination rather than direct attribution. It has an A1d reverse which is shared by VAMs 6, 7, 14.5, 14.8, and 14.19. VAMs 6 and 7 are fairly common, the others are pricey rareties. I provided the picture of the "A" in States because the VAMs 7 and 14.5 have a fairly visible die gouge that transects that letter. In this example it is not there, so we can omit those two choices. The next thing I did was eliminate the common VAM 6. This variety has die cracking through the stars and date on the obverse. The photos show no cracking ... even with max magnification. The cracks may still be there with the coin in hand, so I set aside VAM 6 for further study.

That left two rare VAMs, the 14.8 and the 14.19. The key feature on the 14.8 is a chunky spike protruding from the eye and die chip markers on the bonnet. This coin lacks these diagnostics. That leaves the VAM 14.19 (btw the priciest of the three rareties). It is hard to attribute because there are few diagnostics and they are relatively small. One key diagnostics is a die gouge in the curl of Liberty's phygian cap. If you compare the last photo with the example at VAMWorld, you'll see the match ... The coin is a 14.19. It also has other markers ... doubling of the stars and date towards the rim.

This coin was also on ebay and sold for around $50. I wasn't there to pull the trigger. VAM 14.19 in AU goes for around $5000.

OK, now I'll shut up about these.

does jlee stand for Jack Lee?

Edit: Never mind I see the link in your signature now and that just about answers that question