Hi, I was looking at a couple of morgans I picked up recently, and noticed that the O mintmarks on the two different years are a bit different. is that common that mintmarks change from year-to-year? The larger O is on an 1884-O Morgan. The smaller is on an 1880-o Morgan. Thanks!
Yes it's common for the O mintmarks to be different from year to year. Your 1880 O is the small O variety (There were 2 varieties in 1880, small O and medium O) VAMworld - 1880-O VAMs The 1884 O is the oval O variety, the other variety is the round O VAMworld - 1884-O VAMs
Yikes... Thanks for the links, those provide an amazing amount of detail. :bigeyes: So do the different VAMs also imply differing values, or is it just a way to authenticate, or both? Thanks again!
Sometimes a value is recorded, but more often a manner of attribution ( every Morgan and Peace has a single VAM designation) and rarity , which along with top 100,50,40,etc. helps determine pricing. Welcome to the forum! Jim
VAMs are the unique die parings, or varieties for each Morgan date. Certain VAMs can be worth much more than others, depending on the interest and rarity for each variety. The more desirable VAMs are classified into the "Top 100", "Hot 50", and "Hit List 40". Though it's not common, you could use the VAMs to determine authenticity, but there are usually easier ways.
Maybe i`m getting old but the coin on the left looks as if it has recessed letters .I checked all my Morgan " O`s and none look like that . Is it just me ? Everything on that coin looks stamped !
Lol that happens to me some times too looking at pics. I think it's just the eyes playing tricks on me. Just stare at it then look away, and repeat, it will eventually work. :kewl:
I am glad it`s not only me then, thanks thought I was losiing it . But I am a Morgan fan much more so than the Peace dollar and I have a few of those too .
This is what the "VAM Book" shows about the 'O's on Morgan dollars... Type I, Small o, 1880, 1896, 1899, 1900, 1902 Type II, Tall oval medium O with narrow slit, 1879-84, 1888, 1889 Type III, Circular medium O with wide opening, 1884-1904 Type IV, Large oval O with narrow slit, 1879
That's probably because I took them in the same picture, bottom to bottom and just flipped one of the images and moved it over, so the lighting is opposite the other one. Just trying to make things difficult here.
But the 1896, 1900, and 1902 were later shown to be contemporary counterfeits, which suggests that possibly more study needs to be made on the 1880 as well. And the obverse for I believe the fake 1902 has also been paired with at least one other reverse die as well. I would imagine the 1896 and 1900 obverses have been paired with other reverses as well.
