To give you some background. I just picked this coin up two days ago from someone selling all of their coins. I only bought it because I got an incredible deal. Once I got home I realized that it was had an "O" mint mark which I thought was interesting which made me inspect it closer. As soon as I did I immediately noticed the doubling on the the "7" of 1887. I then noticed some double on the "1" and on the first two stars to the right of the date. There is a mark across the center of the coin because he had them tapped to a sheet of paper. I am guess it will come off, but I did not want to try to clean any of the coins I got because I would end up ruining them if I did. SO now your probably asking yourself what the heck is his question already, huh? Well, first I am wondering if others agree that this indeed a double date. Next I was wondering what in the world the value would be on this.
I had to shrink the photos quite a bit to get them to upload, but you will have to take my word it is pretty clear under the magnify glass. -JB
The 87-O is a common date and in that condition is only worth a little more than melt. There are quite a few VAM's with doubling on the date, and you need to check all of the PUP's to make sure you have the right one. Here is the link to the VAMWorld listings for the 87-O......... http://www.vamworld.com/1887-O+VAMs Chris
Most of us who started collecting got answers we did not like. I had my share of those ups and downs but in retrospect always remember that you are learning and this is the way we learn. From others who have most likely learned the same way you are now. In the end you will have what Chris and many others have wich is called knowlidge and that is power in this hobby. Siggi
No luckily I did get a fantastic deal! I was able to get 6 silver dollars for $100! First thing I did though was made sure they were real! Lol couldn't believe the deal I got. I'll post a picture of all of the later. Its time for me to head to work. Thank again everyone! -JB
JB, One thing you'll need to improve if you're going to get interested in Morgan & Peace VAM's is your close-up photos. When you take photos at an angle, like you did here, it has a tendency to hide some things. The same goes for photos of the entire coin. You want to take the photos from directly above. I don't know what kind of camera you're using, but it is best to mount it on a copy stand or tripod. I use a stereomicroscope for my close-ups, but you can also get pretty good photos with a conventional camera and macro lens, too. Chris
That is something I noticed right away when trying to take photos. My first thought was crap I need a new camera! A stereomicroscope is what I really want, but I can not afford at the moment. I'm barely getting by as it is and I already have 2 jobs and going to school fulltime =/ But someday I'll get one. For right now I was trying to take pictures with my digital camera and my 16x magnifying glass slapped to the front! I know pretty redneck, but I am from KY so its okay! Thanks for the suggestions and amazing pics btw!!
Well, when you finish school and start making better money, if you still want a microscope, I'd suggest getting a trinocular stereomicroscope rather than a standard binocular. It provides a dedicated eyepiece for the camera attachment. Prices have come down on them the last couple years. When I looked a few years ago, they were $3K+. Now, they're less than half that amount. Chris
