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 Replies: 35 / Views: 1,000 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
this is one of my favorite cherry-picked VAMs. found it in a miami coin shop's junk bin several years ago:   the full coin pix are a few years old & not the greatest, but there it is.  doubled profile.  2 olives.  but here's the die break. I believe my coin is a much later die state as the breaks have expanded and clearly shows a very shattered die. the picture from VAMworld's site shows an earlier die state:  Edited by MrPink2018
02/14/2026 8:57 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
73577 Posts |
Very cool! Nice pick.   Errers and Varietys.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1227 Posts |
I do love a good cherry pick congratulations.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
8724 Posts |
Very nice, Ron! A lot going on with this coin, doubling on the obverse and reverse and all cracked up. Yours looks to have the die chip in the 2 like the later stage full coin shot on VAMWorld. Very cool pick. LINK https://vamworld.com/wiki/1902-O_VAM-15A-makecents-
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Moderator
 United States
94636 Posts |
That is a nice one MrPink |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2456 Posts |
i was pleased to have found it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
I've been giving this Morgan dollar a closer look. here's a question for anyone knowledgeable in the VAM field: what kind of difference must this coin show for it to go from VAM-15A to VAM-15B? how would that be possible? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8724 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
Quote:
Are you asking about a new discovery yes. Quote:
I do not see a 15B. there is no 15B. only a 15 A. let me try to articulate this. again, the VAMworld listing's example:  and my coin again:  for sure, I have a much later die state. my coin has the same die break as in the VAMworld listing's example coin, but it is much farther along in it's deterioration. the die break in question for the 15A runs from the bottom right of the E over to the bottom left of the D, out the bottom right of the D and veers downward to the denticles beneath the O. my coin shows that, too, and more. the die has shattered and the fields in that area are just beginning to tilt. there is a retained interior die break, plus the D is broken in the middle. not just cracked, but broken. you don't see that in the VAMworld listing's example. there are numerous die cracks radiating out from that area. the die crack off the top serif of the E actually runs upward through the wreath leaves and through the arrow feathers. with some squinting, the crack can be followed up even farther, though it is very faint. I realize it takes more than extra die cracks on a later die state to qualify as a new VAM, which is why I point out the retained interior die break and broken D. so I'm just wondering if my coin has the potential to be a discovery coin, maybe a 15B? I think this thought because of the 1891-O VAM-1A1 through -1A4 progression, with the dome/die break. I realize the differences due to the clashed E. I understand that. it's the progression of the deteriorating die that has my thoughts where they are. i can provide more pix if anyone wants to see a better shot of anything from my coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
over on the VAMworld site there are guidelines for what can be considered. from the VAMworld site: Quote:
Die Breaks: These are defined as being a break in the die that is wide enough that a piece of the die is missing, or it is obvious that there is a displacement (tilt) in the field as a result of a broken piece of the die being loose and at a different angle from the rest of the die. Thin die cracks are common and will not be considered for listing except for some radial die cracks, which are not as common. Isolated small die chips are not listed, as they are also quite common. Late die state wear on peripheral die cracks can give the appearance of a displaced field break, but as they are simply a result of die wear, they will not be listed. and: Quote:
Listing Die Stages
Any coin submitted to divide an existing listing into multiple die stages must include coins showing all applicable die stages or photographic proof that the new die stage is distinct from those that have already been cataloged. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
update: I just registered (again) at VAMworld. I need to present this coin's pix & my thoughts on the discussion boards there. for now, though, I have to wait to be accepted.
i was active on VAMworld way back around 2010, but I don't remember any of that info (username, email, etc) from back then. so I just re-registered.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8724 Posts |
Ron, I will be curious to see what they say on VAMWorld. It's odd that the LDS example they have almost looks further along in some aspects, the thickness of the crack but that may just be due to circulation flattening. You can very obviously see additional cracking on yours just under the wreath bow, in between E and D that I cannot make out in their LDS pics. One thing that is confusing to me though is the filled 2. Their example looks further along but once again, may be due to circulation flattening. Can you give a closeup of that part of the date? Worst case scenario, yours would be a better LDS example for them to have shown on the listing.  -makecents-
Edited by -makecents-
02/26/2026 09:27 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
let me get a better (closer) pic of the date. please hold.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
there is no fill in my 2.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2456 Posts |
Quote:
the LDS example they have almost looks further along in some aspects, the thickness of the crack but that may just be due to circulation flattening i agree. their example coin looks very well worn/circulated. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8724 Posts |
Then yours would appear to not be any form of the 15 or 15A, it would appear to be a changed out obverse die. A piece from the 15A VAM description. "and the obverse sports a doubled profile and filled base of the 2 in the date". Yours cannot have a later reverse die stage and an earlier obverse stage. Are you getting what I have been trying to tell you? -makecents-
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Replies: 35 / Views: 1,000 |
Posted 02/15/2026 05:57 am
