Calling all VAMpires... 1889 Morgan that has me scratching my head.

So I picked up this very interesting 1889 Morgan Dollar yesterday. It was originally in a NGC MS-63 holder, but it was pretty beat up and I could not improve it enough to properly image this coin. So I cracked it out, I don't do this too often and it was my first NGC holder to crack open.

Anyway, what really got me going with this Morgan is the die state. 1889 has quite a few sunken obverse die's listed on VAM world, but I could not match this one up at all. This particular one has a very nice sunken reverse die as well (reminiscent of the '83-O VAM-1C). It appears to be a very far date with doubled ear obverse. There is also remnants of an old clash on the obverse around Liberty's lips and neck as well as on the reverse. There is a light die crack running along the top of NIT of UNITED on the reverse.

Let's see if anyone can help me attribute this or maybe it's a new VAM altogether? I will summon the usual suspects, but I welcome everyone's opinion.

@Dave Waterstraat
@heavycam.monstervam
@messydesk
@Cascade

If I forgot someone, I apologize.

The images below are shown in two different lighting techniques, one is a traditional which most of you are used to. The other is axial, which mimics the look of having the light source coming directly from the lens. Because of this, the coin has a very different look, but it really shows off the texture of the surface and does not show luster at all. The images of the obverse and reverse are going to be in full resolution, so it may cause some slow load times for some of you.

Here is the obverse and reverse images using traditional lighting.





Here are some detail images of the lip clash and neck clash.

 

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I just posted in the under $50 thread that I thought VAM-61 was a possibility but did not see the die makers in and near the Y. These images show them. Excellent photos and cool example of a LDS Morgan.

 

Looks like a LDS VAM 61. The doubling on the inside of the ear strengthens due to die fatigue on LDS coins. You see the same thing on VAMs 3 and 39.

 

Wow... For the life of me, I could not get this one nailed down yesterday. I don't know how I overlooked the VAM-61. I'm surprised there are no comments on VW 2.0 regarding the sunken die for the reverse. But that is the one. Thanks guys.

 

There are now.

 

Well im late to the party but im almost forced to agree with Dave and John. Especially since John discovered this one- kachorkle.
Justin they do mention at the very end, that the LSD specimens exhibit die erosion on both sides- more-so on the reverse. FWIW

Edit- maybe that was just added(?)

 

JB, I like the note you added about Vam-39 being an evil mimic,,, I was tempted to call it that one until I opened the VAM-61 listing...andddd I did not notice who was credited with the discovery... I need to quit skim reading...

 

I actually forgot I discovered this one. It was someone else's coin, and I had him send it to Leroy. Tonight, I'll go back into my archives of letters I send to submitters when they send me a coin that needs to be seen by Leroy. I probably mention that it's not VAM 39 and the reason why.

When I add notes like the "evil mimic" comment to VW, it's to help myself out in the future as much as it is someone else.

 

Ahhh, yes. Those notes will help in the future. Thanks for adding those. I was having trouble seeing the lines in the Y of LIBERTY in hand. The images above make it much more obvious. I've always looked at the coin through a loupe when attributing rather than my own images. LOL

Also John, if you want to use my images above for the VW page, please feel free. I offer you an open invitation to use any of my images for VW.