thedeadpoint Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 Hi Mark, I have a quick question for you on your method of VAM hunting. How do you hunt for varieties you need/want when at a coin show or shop? Do you remember certain varieties after studying them before going out? Do you know common places on a coin where varieties most likely are seen? Do you carry a guide with you? Or Do you just buy an interesting looking specimen, take it home, and hope its a variety you don't have yet? I just bought a variety book for Barber dimes and I'd like to go to a table at a bourse or look through a dealer's stock and cherrypick varieties he doesn't have noted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 PS. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted September 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 My little routine is to bring my reading glasses, a 10x magnifying glass, a 30x loupe and my redbook. My Redbook with the coins I have marked to look first for year/mints I need. I look at date (Far date, near date, slanted, high, low, and doubling. Also in denticles below date.) , mint mark (placement, high, low, slanted and lines in around mint mark to look doubling or repunched mint marks.) clashing (By neck, at "V' of hair toward the bottom, below tail feather and in field above eagle. The clashing has to involve letters transfered. ) Those are the pretty sure bets on finding VAM's. Now they may not be top 100 or hot 50's, but since I am interested in all VAM's it works out. Next I do a over all scan for polish marks (On Morgans several VAMs have polish lines on the eagle.), and doubling. Or just odd marks. (When I first started collecting morgans I did not go thru all that and now that I have gone thru ones I already bought I spotted several VAMs I had originally.) It most of the time takes me about a minute maybe a little over to do this, so it really does not take much time per coin. That pretty much covers the majority of VAM's. I use to carry a small list of hot 50 and top 100, but stopped that just because of convenience. I thought about condensing the list a little more and making it smaller for ease though. Anyways I bring them home then start the true Id'ing. Some VAM's I do remember easy enough. Heres a couple I always look for. Any 1878 I always look at the the tail feathers to see if a 7/8 type and the arrows nock, every Carson City 1890 gets flipped over immediately to check for the bar. (I have 2 of these what weren't originally Id'ed.) Like I said in another post I do pick up coins I have not positively ID'ed. I would love to find a new VAM and get to send it to Leroy Van Allen to get a new type confirmed. Having a discovery piece even if its not a top 100 or hot 50 would be a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 thanks for the tips. basically just sounds like grading a coin - checking all the usual problem areas, fields, other stuff, etc. I'll check out that method. Too bad varieties aren't as common or prominent on barber dimes or other series (other than sheldon varieties, etc). Anywho, I know I've asked this, but why do Morgans have so many prominent varieties? Just because people looked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted September 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Probably the popularity of the morgan. Also with a larger coin it is easier to pick up differences. Barber dimes are going to be really tough unless they are higher grade ones. The morgan in lower grades sometimes are tough or sometimes impossible to ID varieties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 So I've complained many times on CP before that I can't find any Barber dimes nicer than VF but below MS 65ish. I just checked the handful I do have and none are dates/mint combos that have varieties listed Moreover, only th 1912-D has varieties listed - RPMs - the book notes that only two have ever been certified with those varieties. Darn. This will be a tough series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted September 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Who knows with a good eye you might spot a new variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted September 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 1903 S VAM-7 Slanted Date, S Tilted Left 7 III2 2 - C4c (Slanted Date, S Tilted Left) (189) I-2 R-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Well, got another "tough" one for my year/mint marks a 1903 O Morgan dollar in about ms63. Only problem my camera is DOA so all I have is a cell phone camera. And so not much of a picture. Edit: got a new camera changed pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Looks like some nice additions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted October 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Down to 17 year/mint mark morgans to have one for every circulated morgan. Dealer had a 1893 S in about ef grade today and at least I got to see it. That ones going to be a killer! He had several other coins I'm missing, but they will have to wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted November 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Another tough year/mint. 1893 Philadelphia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Nice Philly dollar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Very nice pics too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 Where's the S? Great coin, mark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted November 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 Where's the S?Great coin, mark! All I needed was an extra $4,700 and it would have been mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted November 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 From this years Texas Renaissance Festival Greenman on one side, Celtic Knot on the other. I thought about having him do a off center strike since I do like the errors but it turned out okay anyways. The Celtic Knot shows a die clash from what appears to be another Celtic Knot. I did not get a chance to get pictures this year from the drop hammer mint what made these. (My wife had the camera to photo the nieces there. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 From the coin show this weekend. Did not really see any that jumped out on me. But I did pick up one year/mint mark I did not have and a crescent toner, just because. Also picked up this years silver and clad proof sets. And mint set. 1882 S Morgan 1892 S Morgan. (Did not have.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 Nice Morgans. I like the Tx Fair medal too, esp the knot side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted January 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Another tough year and mint 1893 O. The color looks washed out from the photo but the coin is darker. (I have not gotten use to the new camera and all of these seem washed out.) Looks like a vam 3 slanted date. It fits the description and the picture on my book, but the one shown on vam world seems to have a little more slant. The O looks a little slanted but I believe within normal range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I picked up a 1887 VAM 5 double date "Top 100 VAM" only problem I already have one. I really need to keep a list of VAM's I already have. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Nice going. The Phillipines coins seem to be getting harder and harder to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Picked up a few more from the bulk silver bin today. 1919 5 Bolivares 1870 Peru Sol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 And one more today from the bulk silver bin. 1947 panama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightwing Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 And one more today from the bulk silver bin. Where is this bulk silver bin you speak of and how can I get my hand into it? Nice coins by the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.