Breen noted that; of the Obv. Small die scratch up to r. from left tip of serif of left upright of second U in UNUM to border. Left base of first 1 above center of dentil, r. base of second 1 slightly r. of left edge. Central details far sharper than on regular uncirculated pieces. Rev. Very faint recutting visible on left upright of T in UNITED. Horizontal die file marks plainly within ribbon bows and at left and right of them; vertical die file marks at inner berries nearest to left base of N and T in UNITED. Eagle's breast feathers unusually sharp. Brilliant proofs as in 1904 and earlier years, carelessly made..." The second Proof version is the so-called "Chapman" Proof, named after the Philadelphia coin dealer, Henry Chapman, whose name appears on a Mint invoice (dated June 11, 1921) selling him "10 proof silver dollars 1921". For years, the mintage was thought to have been limited to only the ten coins, but now we know that additional "Chapman" Proofs were struck. PCGS alone has certified 40 examples, the finest of which is a single PR-66 that far outshines the 13 PR-64's that are at the next level below. The only Proof Cameo example graded by PCGS is a single PRCA-64. "Chapman" Proofs are super brilliant and have only 16 berries in the wreath on the reverse, as opposed to 17 on the "Zerbe" Proofs. Additional die characteristics include a hollow area around Morgan's initial on the truncation line on the obverse (caused by die polishing) and light die striations around UN, AM, and RICA on the reverse.
Could be. We need clearer pictures. Take several and post the best ones. These are shaded, too, try to get the whole coin under the lamp.
Unless Zerbe's were made to look that way, to distinguish them. I'll post up more pics today in that case
Sorry I do have some questions regarding the Zerbe and Chapman Morgan Dollar. How do you tell the difference from a regular and these other 1921 Morgan dollars? The other thing is does anyone have a pic of a pitted reverse of the 1921 Morgan dollars
As far as I know; the most distinguished feature to a Zerbe. Is the 17 berries that are in the wreath, on the reverse. To whereas Chapman's only have 16.. I haven't counted on the '21 Ds
Larry is right, those images are no help. All we can really tell you with any level of confidence is it is a 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar, it has 0.7735 troy ounces of silver in it, and in today's market that equates to a value of $12.73. It could be worth more. If we could see better images of it, we could probably tell you that. It could be the 17-berry variety, as well. All Morgan Silver Dollars have 17 berries, except the 1921s, and that is from all mints, with only 16. The 17-berry variety 1921 has the extra berry appearing as a dot without a stem stuck on bottom of the left leaf in the upper-right leaf cluster just opposite the right berry in that cluster, so that is what you want to show if you think it is the 17-berry variety. Or, as you have it in hand, just look at the thing. If it has the dot, that is satisfactory, it is the 17-berry variety. How much is it worth? Let me put it like this, I think I have seen better images of the Loch Ness Monster. To evaluate the grade, we need much clearer images. On the value, if it is the 17-berry variety, nobody can say, principally because that variety is still shrouded in mystery. It is like the Loch Ness Monster, in that way. Is it a proof? Is it not a proof, but a proof-like? Is it a plain, circulation-strike? Was it minted in Philadelphia, San Francisco, but missing the S mint-mark? On and on. The value would depend on what the market believes. Does the market believe in the Loch Ness Monster? Then that obscure image of that thing that otherwise looks like a duck has value to that market. Here is a description of a "Zerbe" on Heritage, right now, coming up in auction in a month. Link is below. Follow it. See what the coin gets. It will tell you more on the value than we can. Get us much clearer images, and we can give you a grade, but that is about all. 1921 Zerbe Proof Morgan Dollar, PR65 VAM-1AG, Sharp With Reflective Fields 1921 $1 Zerbe PR65 NGC. VAM-1AG. While the definitive answers are few about the exact nature of the Zerbe proofs, high-grade examples such as this coin provide an up-close view of what stirs the debate. Were they really struck in proof format? For former ANA President Farran Zerbe? The present coin certainly resembles a proof more than a prooflike circulation strike. Liberty's hair and cap are razor sharp, but the eagle shows minor blending on the legs and breast. Die polish lines conform to the VAM-1AG criteria. The iridescent fields are fully prooflike with orange, red, blue, and gold hues. The rims are high and sharp throughout. Both services recognize the existence of the proofs, estimating 100 to 125 pieces known. Census: 12 in 65 (1 in 65 , 1 in 65+), 8 finer (4/15). (NGC ID# 257A, PCGS# 7341) http://coins.ha.com/itm/morgan-dollars/silver-and-related-dollars/1921-1-zerbe-pr65-ngc-vam-1ag/p/1221-18003.s
