Old-style (but not fat) NGC holder...,, Guess the grade(!)

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Ms-65

 

I will agree 65, 65+ by today's standards

 

MS64, shot 65. That reverse looks pretty banged up on the eagle, but the obverse is stellar.

 

Beautiful coin , I`ll guess ms 65

 

65

And that's a VAM-2 DDO ("Doubled Tiara"), just in case you didn't know.

If it really is MS65, it makes your normally $150.00 coin about a $450.00 coin. :thumb:

Here are photos of the pick-up point for reference (original images courtesy of VAMWorld.com)...

 

call me nuts but NGC m go 66 on this

 

okay, I'll be that guy and guess MS-64 (I see some marks on her chin, neck and jaw-line and a bit of clatter on the reverse, especially to the right)

 

Ms 64 +

 

WoW(!) No kidding? Had no idea! I paid $120 from a pawn shop the other day, something about the coin looked unusual, couldn't quite put my finger on it except that it seemed to be rather exceptionally well struck for a Peace Dollar and the tiara looked absolutely sensational. I agree, for certain has the extra spikes in the tiara. You don't suppose it is a VAM-2A? Found this on eBay this evening...,,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AVC1760-1923-VAM-2A-TOP-50-PEACE-DOLLAR-PCGS-MS64-FINEST-KNOWN-/160932257225

Mine is nicer than the PCGS coin, an MS65. Looks like most of us agree on grade part, including me.

 

Yes sir, that coin on eBay is the very same variety Although that seller is... well... "optimistic" in their asking price The last VAM-2 in PCGS MS65 sold for $460.00, and that was in August of 2011.

Since the market for VAMs (silver dollar die varieties, if you're unfamiliar) isn't as strong as it was a couple of years ago, your coin would probably bring $350-$400 at auction today. Some of the "Top 50" Peace VAMs (like yours) are still commanding strong numbers at auction, and depending on who's bidding, it could realize an even more than my estimate. It's extremely difficult to pin it with a dollar amount without more recent auction records to compare to, and from my digging around, I can't find any records of a VAM-2 in MS65 selling since the date mentioned above.

Any way you look at it, you still scored big! Congrats on the cherrypick, man! I'm extremely jealous! :thumb: Just be sure to cut me in on the profit if you ever decide to flip it

EDIT: Sorry, that example on eBay is a late die-state VAM-2, but still struck from the same dies your coin was... just after a die break occurred on the reverse. Either way, his asking price is still ludicrous.

 

Quite the accidental cherrypick. I'm surprised that NGC didn't catch something that stands out like that.

Congrats. And I am going to agree. MS65. Stellar obverse.

 

It's not a matter of the graders "catching" the DDO - it's a matter of the submitter requesting to have their coin attributed by VAM variety. If you don't pay the attribution fee, they'll look at the coin like it's just another generic, mint state silver dollar.

Cherrypicking VAMs in NGC and PCGS holders is possible. Just this month I 'picked a 1925 VAM-5 in NGC 64 and a 1923 VAM-1C in a PCGS 63 "Rattler".

 

Here's a shot of the hologram on the holder. Doesn't precisely date the coin, but obviously old enough that maybe VAM coins weren't part of the normal attribution, especially on a rather common dated coin like an 1923 that was sent in using an economy tier. The "Islamic" ANA logo... What years would that have been?? I don't think PNG uses that badge anymore either.

 

Your coin was slabbed in the early 2000's, and the third-party graders were well aware of what a "VAM" was and offered attribution services to their clients who wished to know what VAM variety their dollars were.

Read my last post.

 

That crescent style ANA logo was adopted in July 2003 and NGC updated their hologram in November 2003. Your slab is likely from the Nov 2004 to Nov 2008 period, since it has the "full back" hologram sticker. In Conder101's slab variety numbering it's likely an NGC Generation 17 holder, but I can't tell for sure by only seeing the front of the coin. I wouldn't call this slab "old" by any stretch of the imagination...despite your title.

 

Not splitting hairs here, but it's not from the early 2000's. It's from the mid-2000s at best...and could be as recent as the end of 2008.

 

That sounds about right, 2000 or so. The little square holograms were earlier I believe. Meanwhile, I may need to get a VAM book. I specialize in world coins, but I do have a decent Peace Dollar collection. In the past, I have always looked upon VAM coins as so esoteric that any premium paid could easily evaporate in a heartbeat given the fickle whims of the marketplace. As for cherry picking them, way too hard on the eyes I always thought. But this coin is so obviously DDO that it somewhat surprises me that it isn't listed in the Red Book as such. Or is it? I haven't bought a Red Book in years...,, In any case, if there are other VAM dollars that are as spectacular, that can be picked-off even without the aid of a loupe, why then I probably need to get a VAM book.

 

I think that's a splitting a hair or two, my friend but yes, thanks for clarifying.

I don't know my slabs as well as I know my VAMs

 

Actually, "old" is a relative term but still applicable. It's not so much the chronological aspects of it as it is the changes in grading standards since the advent of edge-view holders that makes this slab somewhat "ancient" in comparison.