I just bought this coin in AU-58 grade looks more MS to me for $15.50 and I am trying to fiqure out what it is truly worth since it is a vam variety? Also what paticular Variety it is. All the ones I have looked at that I can find dont look like mine? Any help would be greatly appreciated
I thought it was a VAM-25, then I realized your last photo was upside down . Funny, it you look at the photo in the VAM book for the 25, it looks like yours (at 180 degrees rotated). It might be a VAM-14. Most of the VAMs for 1884-O's are the O/O's. Have to identify which one. It could also be a VAM-29, but I don't have a picture of this one. Can you check a couple of other diagnostics? The VAM-29 also has a far date, slightly doubled ear on right inside and right outside, and some have a die chip on the 6th left star. From your photo, your coin does look like it has a far date. Value? I've only seen values listed for the Top 100 and Hot 50. I don't think yours is on these lists. Someone told me 25% over common value for a "collectible" VAM not on these lists. It's a guess. Almost everything to me is "collectible". Once you determine the VAM number, you can probably compare other sales on eBay. If someone collects 1884-O O/O's, who knows. I like your coin. It's a nice strong O over O and looks elongated. I'll look for a photo of the VAM-29. Welcome to the forum!
Looks like a VAM 13 to me, R3. I tweaked your photo a little to help identify. You mentioned VAM-29? My VAM book is from 1976 and only shows VAM-1 to VAM-19 for 1884-O. Am I missing something?
here is a picture of the sixth star on the left. And one with the O rightside up. I dont see that the date is out of allignment comparing to a plain 1884. Also I cannot see any doubling of the ear. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/nmex/84-02.jpg Any ideas how much this is worth? I just started collecting Morgans. I paid $15.50 which included S&H was this a good price? I also metal detect alot but have never found a morgan yet.
The 4th edition goes up to VAM-36. I received the updates last week, and they go up to VAM-43. The date placement.... the 1 is supposed to start two and a half denticles from the neck V. If you draw a line from the center of the neck V to the deniticles, start counting from there.
I agree with the VAM-14. My book is from 1991 and goes up to 36. Also, I know that you have already posted a lot of pictures, but clear pictures without glare on the surfaces would help identify the condition. Because New Orleans dollars have notoriously weak strikes, many of them are erroneously sold as AU when in fact they are MS. The hair over the ear and the breast feathers tend to be weaker on O coins.
