I just picked up this 1886-P Morgan and I'd like some input as to grade and VAM attribution. I took some high res pics and I need some new eyes to check this out for me. I think I can see doubling on the 1 in the date and the 6 also has evidence of a overdate/double. In addition, the star to the right of the 6 is funky; one of the star tips actually is two star tips. On the reverse the star, bottom right has an elongated tip too. Any help? I've included links to high res pics. links: http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4043.JPG Obverse http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4041.JPG Reverse http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4043_crop.JPG Obverse http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4043_6-and-star-crop.JPG http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4043_Date-crop.JPG
1886p It looks like you may have it. I think i can see a little mark inside the 6, it apperars correct. The star does look like it has a doubling on the lower point. Check out VAMworld.
I don't believe it's VAM 20. It doesn't look like doubling under the date of your coin, it looks like the "shadow effect", which is the lack of toning usually under the date, stars, and lettering which creates a shadow effect, that can look like doubling. (A little more then half way down this page: RAINBOW TONED COINS has a few examples). I believe your coin is VAM 6 (1886-P VAM-6), the second 8 should be slightly higher then the first 8, and the 6 should be the highest. There may also be a very small bump under the A in Dollar. (Also, the VAM page's example for the VAM 6 has the shadow effect on the date.)
No bump under the A. Since I'll be doing this inspection stuff in the future, I bought a Celestron digital microscope: http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?CatID=81&ProdID=516 , that should get the job done. What about the doubled star tip? Any ideas? Care to hazard a grade?
I don't see any doubling from the pics. Is the 6 in the date opened (The knob of the 6 would be clearly separated from the lower loop)? I'm not to big on '86 P VAMs. If you can't figure it out, you can always ask the guys over on VAMworld. *As for the grade, the fields are pretty clean, but there's a bunch of hits on Liberty, so I would say 63, maybe a 64, depending on how distracting the hits are in hand.
How does the microscope handle an opaque item which needs lighting from above? This has always been my reason for not considering microscopes designed for thin sections. If it is capable of both, it should be great.
It's close but it's separated (30X loupe). I'll post some better pics when I get the scope. Thanks to both of you for he inputs.
It's a pretty coin with nice toning, very pleasing to the eye, the flash on the camera obliterates much of the detail and toning. I'm thinking of sending it to ANACS, just wondering if it would be worth it. I probably overpaid at $35, but hey I liked it. It'll be a keeper for me and I get nice ones slabbed as part of my estate planning (such as it is). I don't want the wife/son to get horse dealt out of anything if you know what I mean.
I turn the flash off when photographing coins, but the right lighting still eludes me. I imagine someday getting the same equipment used to match fingerprints and applying it to die varieties, ie overlapped images merging to confirm or exclude attribution. And to think when I was young, my imagination was wasted on pursuing girls...
UPDATE: It's a VAM-23 (the comet from the star to the E in E pluribus Unum is plain to see when you focus on that section), Jason at VAM world nailed it. Here are some pics with the Celestron microscope and a Canon digital SLR: SLR http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4043.JPG Obverse http://www.bunkiedog.com/IMG_4041.JPG Reverse Celestron LCD Microscope http://www.bunkiedog.com/CFE_03-29-2010_obverse_1886-P_R.JPG http://www.bunkiedog.com/CFE_03-29-2010_obverse_1886-P_8-in-86.JPG http://www.bunkiedog.com/CFE_03-29-2010_obverse_1886-P_star1.JPG http://www.bunkiedog.com/CFE_03-29-2010_obverse_1886-P_star2.JPG
