Question In Regards To VAM's

spring423,

Welcome to the VAM section.

If you haven't already found it, the online reference for Morgan and Peace VAMs is VAMWorld.com. And to clarify, every Morgan and Peace dollar is a VAM. Check the Morgan VAMs by date section, then the 1878 P tab. These are organized by 8TF, 7/8TF, and three stages of the 7TF variety (B1 long nock, parallel arrow feather and slanted arrow feather or 79 reverse). That "broken D" is a known die characteristic of the 7TF, parallel arrow feather. Check VAM 190-196 for additional die markers to nail it down. Let us know what you find and if possible post a picture of the complete obverse and reverse with enough detail to see these die markers or pick-up points (PUPs).

Be warned though that delving into Morgan and Peace dollar die varieties is habit forming.

I don't believe I have ever seen leaves that covered up on any 1878 in the olive branch. Is that a photo effect or is it actually that weak?


Edit: now that I can see it better, it definitely looks like there is grease in the die on those leaves. But its been harshly cleaned and it could have been altered to look like that also, that is something that will have to be looked at in hand to tell what is going on there

It is actually that weak that was one of the things besides the d in dollar that stands out just looking at it

what is going on there with the M and E in AMERICA? does it look like something has flaked off of those areas? I do see the line you are talking about but it kind of looks like a scratch to me in the picture

I can honestly say as to it being cleaned not while in my possession I received this with others approx 25 yrs ago believe it or not while I was working at a service station during high school. and an older gentleman paid for gas with them. What happened to them prior to that no clue

Not to be smart but in regards to the line or scratch it only runs through the indented aroung the letters not on the letters them selves I am no expert but definitely not a scratch

p.s. that scratch through the 'r' and 't' of Liberty is a scratch on the die. Every coin pressed with that die has that die scratch.

That's called a "disconnected leaf". It's found on most of the B1 reverses (long arrow nock) and a few others. That's why you can't let one pick-up point (PUP) be your sole determining factor. You have to match them all ... if you can't match them all then you do what our illustrious Byran1315 did ... send it off to the King of VAMs himself (Leroy Van Allen) and get yourself a "New Discovery".