Hi. The mint mark S of this 1887s Morgan Dollar seems thick With a mark in the lower loop. Please help identify this MM. Thanks.. Here is the link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Gz4mcKYOGQTUVGQnE5YzN4SUE/edit?usp=sharing
Shoot, I didn't even catch that John. Yeah OP, your question would be better answered in the 'coin chat' or 'error' sections of the forum.
just encase you don't know about vams, heres the link http://www.vamworld.com/1887-S+VAMs now STOPPING calling things like RPM, DDR, DDO, ETC lol
Actually the VAM listings use the terms RPM (i.e. S/S) and DDO , DDR, etc. to describe the various VAM listings, so I see nothing odd about using this terminology rather than VAM#. If a person can not normally recognize a DD, or RPM from damage, they will have to resort to scanning each photo, which is not a nominal way of distinguishing varieties, but more as confirmation. Just as some use Krause #, Snow #, and so forth, it doesn't mean that basic level knowledge of varietals can be ignored. I think your "lol' was premature and incorrect.
http://www.vamworld.com/1887-S+VAMs vam are made up of error, not listed as anything you said, look for all the DDO, DDR, RPM you want, you will never find any vams that way, or better yet, send it in to a grading company with any of the errors you want to, unless you use a vam number, you will get the coin back, as what you sent, or nothing will be done to it, and you won't get your money back either
So, what is the error for 1887-S VAM#1 ? The listing says it is the normal die. so no error or variety. inside that listing it says "Since VAM numbers are assigned by die classification" one must be able to know variations with RPMs, DD, etc. unless one is satisfied to just try and compare photos with their coin, and proclaim it is VAM-XX. As I said every morgan has a VAM designation whether it is an error or a normal date. You can call the 1887-S VAM#1 as a VAM, but it is the normal ( no variety) one. But each to their own.
just like this post http://www.cointalk.com/threads/1903-s-morgan-dollar-ddr.238870/#post-1821362 you were wrong then, and your wrong now
In the Van Allen and Mallis original book, ( I am sure you have one ), The table of contents has Doubled Dies, Double Dates, Doubled mint marks, Mint Mark Variations, etc., all listed as a separate section for determinations of VAMS. Perhaps you can explain why VA and M make them such a prominent part of their book and cataloging procedure if they are as you indicated ( lol) , worth laughing at. How do you think the original ' finders of varieties' determined their coin might be a new VAM number? By just checking photos? If you check each VAM date and MM listings, there will be a ( Normal ) indication on one, and it will have a VAM #. I have no problem with you stating I am wrong, but I have seen no answer from you even coming close to validating your position.
This is all I have to say, everything you said makes up the vams, thats the final out come of the program, this thread is only the beginning of what the real answer is,vam, why do you think no body else has showed up here, If I have a Morgan dollar, I put it for sale saying DDO DDR RPM, I already know, he knows nothing about vams and morgans, so I was answering his question, in the vam world, DDO, DDR, RPM, are only the markers, which make up the vam, this thread was only saying markers, thats why I posted the link, so now, he is looking in the right path, for what his coin is known as, vam