Category Archives: VAM Girl

VAM Girl: The “O/S” Varieties of 1882

9
Oct
2012
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Today I want to talk to about not just one but three very important VAM varieties. All three came about in 1882 at the New Orleans mint. Three different dies that were originally created for use in San Francisco were … Continue reading  

VAM Girl: 1888-O VAM-4 Double Die Obverse

17
Sep
2012
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Greetings, all you Morgan Dollar collectors out there! I am so excited about the super special VAM I have this month! It’s the 1888-O VAM-4 Double Die Obverse—better known as the “Hot Lips” Morgan Dollar. I have been a fan … Continue reading  

1879-O VAM-4 O/Horizontal O Mint Mark

13
Aug
2012
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In 1879, the dies used to make Morgan Dollars had their mint marks stamped by hand. This individual hand stamping process created many different mint mark varieties. Many of these incorrectly located mint marks were either too high or too … Continue reading  

The “O Over CC” VAMS

23
Jul
2012
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In 1893, the famous Carson City Mint ceased all production, and closed its doors. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Mint was still producing Morgan Dollars at full steam. Many Morgan Dollar dies that were once used in Carson City made their … Continue reading  

The History of the 1878-P VAM39A

19
Jun
2012
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1878 was the first year of the Morgan Silver Dollar. During this first year there were a few changes made to the reverse of the Morgan. Instead of creating all new dies for the changes, the U.S. Mint would stamp … Continue reading  

How To Spot the “Rusty Fish Hook” Morgan Dollar

1
May
2012
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This week, we look at the “Rusty Fish Hook” Morgans. Unique and collectable coins are often referred to as “VAMs,” or by their VAM number—a ranking based on a numerical grading scale, created by numismatic authors Leroy Van Allen and … Continue reading  

A Collector’s Guide To VAMs: Rare Morgans and Alligator Eyes

27
Mar
2012
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Within the world of VAMs, there are thousands of varieties. And as the popularity of VAM collecting grew, and more varieties were discovered, it became clear that not all varieties had the same appeal to collectors. In 1996, Dr. Michael … Continue reading  

A Coin Collector’s Guide to VAMs

27
Feb
2012
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Hello from the coin cage! My name is Rachel (or Rachel 1 as you may hear Barry call me on the show), and I have been a part of the Art and Coin TV coin team for just about three … Continue reading