1888-O Hot Lips

Since I picked up one of these a few months ago, I have not come across any more, until this week ! The circulated bin and the cull bin were pretty good this week.

One of our regular Saturday morning customers looked through the bins and I picked up his rejects to check for anything good. This weeks pulls included 2 82-O/S coins (VAM3 and a VAM5 G-VG) and the cull bin had an 1888-O VAM4 Hot Lips. Pretty worn, but I was happy to cherry these coins - and since I found them he gave them to me at the bins price, I love that guy ! The first Hot Lips coin here was the cull- and it shows- I grade the first one Net AG, the details are G, but that die crack looking circle on the left half of the reverse is NOT a die crack- it is a scratch, and it a little worse than the picture shows...
I graded the second one F-15, and paid a bit more for that one (it did not come out of a "bin", it was purchased as a VAM4 from a customer). I love that this variety is recognizable even when on AG coins. You can see the doubling of the lips pretty well on the first coin, and the chin, nose and extra eyelid are visible on the second. Thanks for checking them out !

First...The cheapie at 14 dollars (cull price)









I paid $35 for this one.