1900 O/Cc VAM 8? Or VAM 8A?: Information And Opinions

Welcome to Coin Community, reubank. Nice coin, nice pics.

I wonder if it's VAM-8 rather than 8A - I don't see the rust around the mint mark characteristic of 8A. That would work in your favor, as 8 seems rarer on the ground than 8A.

My guess is that PCGS will be hesitant to slab based on the toning. If I may assume the color in your shots is accurate, I think they'll conclude that it came to be as the result of a non-natural process. It's a bit too uniform for the color, showing no color progression over the face of the coin. By the time the entire surface is of one color, that color should probably be darker than what I see here.

With that said, myself, I don't believe artificial methods were used to color the coin in a deliberate sense. I suspect the coin recently (as in, the last 25-30 years) spent time in an environment conducive to toning. PCGS is very leery when it comes to color, though.

Thanks Dave for the information. I'm waiting for magnification pictures back that show the mint mark better and the left shifting of the "O". Would it be worth send it in and having a "Top 100 VAM 8 (or 8A)" label in plastic with a "Not Gradable" title? Is there a market out there for VAM coins? I think the coin is in great shape take out the color. It's just a shame that a coin of this quality was not stored and handled with the care it deserved. A true piece of history. The seller told me that it was from her grandfather's coin collection and it was found in a cardboard coin holder which stated 1900 O/CC, but she never declared where or how it was stored.

I'm not sure it's worth the money of slabbing, "Details" or not. Neither 8 nor 8A are particularly rare; ANACS has graded over 100 of each.

VAM-8 it is, I believe. These are a fascinating group of coins. Not so much that they'd alter unused CC dies - that would stand to reason, given how much effort went into making a die - but seven years after the Carson City Mint closed?

There is a story in there, someplace.

12.6 million 1900-O's were minted, a *huge* number for New Orleans. A die shortage is not hard to imagine. What I can't grok is why CC dies were still handy. This one is very high on my "I gotta know why someday" list, Ozland.

The difference between 8 and 8A is the presence or absence of clashing. Your coin is not clashed. Therefore, 8. Not 8A.

Edit: for reasons we've mentioned, *any* O/CC is a fascinating coin. I think the 10% figure is an outside estimate. This coin is a "keeper."

VAM 8 not 8A, I couldn't see the rust with the previous photo's and I am positive with your last photo there is no rust, but one question I have, is the golden "even tone" we saw on the initial photo's of the coin is the same color we see, as you have it it hand? Often the photo's we take don't exactly show the same color I have in hand...