Is this an example of a wide AM? To be considered closed do they HAVE to be touching? Or is 'almost touching' considered as well? I have read several different things about this and was just looking for some some clarification. Thanks.
Hello. Do you have Pics? The Close or Wide AM refers to the distance between the A and the M in AMERICA on struck coins. When the A and the M are a normal distance apart as compared to the other letters in AMERICA this is known as a Wide AM. When the A and the M are almost touching this is known as a Close AM.
The second marker for WAM and CAM is the designer initials. The gap between FG and the edge of the building. The WAM is closest and the CAM slightly further. NEW guy's first post, hope I did it right.
Quick and correct answers for you @Kristine Garrant. As usual I was late to the party. Thanks, and good luck.
Kristine, the wide AM is one I had a terrible time with until I actually found one. Then it was obvious, and I no longer had a problem deciding if it was a wide AM or not!!! Advice already provided explains it very well! Keep looking! They're still out there!!!
not really looking right now. trying to learn how to identify first. How you supposed to look for something when u don't understand what it looks like or what you're looking for? lmao! so i am using pennies as my learning tools, trying to grasp what causes certain things, why others are there, and the end result of it. Once I get a better handling on all of it, then I will start actually looking.
If confused. Look at the spacing on the other side of the M. If it’s no way equal, it’s a closed CAM. IF SOMEWHAT Equal is a WAM
These images should be all we need. In the case of the OP's coin, it looks wide to me BECAUSE the distance between the "A" and "M" looks exactly the same as the distance between the "M" and "E." An image of the "FG" should confirm this. From 1959 to 1992 all business strike coins have a wide "AM" EXCEPT there is a 1992-P and 1992-D with a close "AM." All 1993 cents have a close "AM." All 1994 to 2000 business strikes have a close "AM" EXCEPT there are 1998-P, 1999-P, and 200-P coins with a Wide "AM." There is a transitional reverse on 1988-P and 1988-D cents with the USUAL and NORMAL Wide "AM!" However, the "FG" on the valuable variety is in a different position than the normal 1988 cents. Until I learned the wide "AM" was normal for this date, I thought I had found over a roll of valuable coins and was licking my chops thinking of what to buy for my lucky "windfall."
