I paid $255 for this 1900O VAM 15A dollar in MS65. I am not too familiar with how these coins are usually struck. A coin dealer told me the strike is average on this coin and thought I had paid too much for the coin. Is $255 too much or did I get a great deal on this coin? These pictures are not accurate being a little too bright and brilliant for how the coin actually looks but these are the pictures for the ad selling the coin. Actually the coin may be better struck on the head than what is showing in the picture and the dark spot doesn't look as dark as in the picture. I can also see two clashes above one of the wings on the back under the word IN - is this unusual? Assuming the strike is only average is $255 too much to pay?
Why would you buy the coin without having even a general sense if the cost and valuation were worth it? I'm not familiar enough with vam's but is this particular vam popular enough to more than double the valuation of a similar state coin without the vam? Judging by the past few ebay sales which includes your own coin and going by sale price and eye appeal. My wild guess is that you may have paid a little on the high side for it. But if you truly enjoy the coin whether or not that's acceptable is really up to you, though I wouldn't expect to recoup that premium when liquidating.
Are you a vam collector? Is this a tough one to acquire in general or at this grade level? What led you to believe what you paid was a fair price? Myself, as someone who doesn't value VAM's (in that I won't pay a premium for one, I still respect those who love them and do), I'd have paid no more than $100-110 or so for this one. The strike and luster look nice, I'm not a big fan of the staining around the ear. If I had this one raw I'd try and dip it (but would not crack it out to attempt that is burning money only if it was raw already).
Which Ebay sales are you referring to? I can't find any of these coins in MS65 when I look up past sales which is why I posted my question. The only ones I can find are in MS64 which seem to go for at least $150 on Ebay. I thought the coin may be a good deal since in MS64 they seem to go for at least $150. Heritage Auctions seems to show them selling a little lower in the low 100's.
So then it must be a rarer VAM that interests people because regular 65s have sold for under 125 with regularity. So if the VAM is desirable the question is...is it desirable to you? If not, why did you pay a premium for it? If so then you shouldn't have doubts since you desire it and know it goes for a premium.
I bought the coin because I think the coin is interesting and is a Top 100 coin in VAMWorld and has an interest of a 4. I was wondering if anyone would have any idea how much these coins generally sell for in MS65. I thought the price in 65 is OK since they go for in the low one hundreds in MS64.
The Coinfacts guide doesn't appear to separate Vam15 from Vam15a. However, I did find an example with the double clash under chin (NGC ms 65, sold for $212 @ Heritage in 2014) in the Vam-15 Coinfacts page. @messydesk ?
I also just found them in PCGS. They seem to be running in the low 200's in MS65. Most of them look like VAM15 but I can make out two which sold for $212 each in MS65 one of which is probably the coin you found. It looks like I probably did overpay for the coin. Rats.
Just the aggregate sold sales for the Vam15A. Imo there's coins in there that while only graded 64, have a much better eye appeal than the coin you posted due to the staining on your coin.
The stain does not look as bad in person as it looks in the picture. The stain probably looks darker in the picture because the seller manipulated the picture to make the coin look more brilliant and flashy than it actually is. The coin is a little softly struck and looks a little bland especially on the back which probably brings down the price. Because of that I am sending the coin back to get a refund.
All 1900-O VAM 15 coins come clashed, so there's no need to differentiate them from coins called VAM 15A for pricing. Most of them have 2 clashes, while some have 3.
