1885-O VAM 13A

weth · Post by **weth** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:48 pm

I see that someone (fogie? alefzero?) has been cleaning up in the SSDC registry. Specific to the 1885-O series, the VAM 19 and VAM 20 have been removed from that date set. So now I only have one gap remaining in that set, being the VAM 13A.

Isn't it generally thought that the VAM 13A is the same as the VAM 18A? Sure seems that way from the photos on the 13A page. If it is different, can anyone point out distinct features separating them? If it isn't different, does anyone have the discovery coin? Does Kevin Slack still post here?

Just want to either better document the VAM 13A, or possibly kill it.

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:58 pm

I bought it off eBay it's PCGS VAM-63 #19058338

Mike

weth · Post by **weth** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:27 pm

Hi Mike,
Does it match the VAM 18A?
If so, can I borrow it (to send to LVA when he's back to receiving coins)?

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:37 pm

I'll have to dig through my stash at home, it may take a couple of days to find.

I have almost 500 Morgans to look through

Mike

weth · Post by **weth** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:48 pm

That's cool - no rush. I mean, LVA isn't accepting coins right now anyway.

I just want to either fully differentiate VAM 13A from VAM 18A, or prove to LVA that they're the same.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Tom

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:04 am

Tom,

I checked your 85-O set in the registry and I noticed that all you need
to complete it is the 85-O VAM-13A.

Maybe we can work out after I find mine.

Mike

weth · Post by **weth** » Fri Feb 22, 2019 2:19 am

Thanks, Mike. It would be nice to get 1885-O closure of some sort, so I would be a "motivated buyer" - or trader.

Sidebar -

I've seemed to have undertaken an additional 1885-O die study in honor of Nate / Metalencephalon. He had started a study, based on a desire to do something other than the 83-O and have a date/mintmark of his own to muck around in. After he had been at it for a while, I mentioned that I had about a dozen toned examples of the 85-0, and Nated loved his toners, so I sent them to him for attribution. He ended up trading me for several of them, and attributed the rest. He started pointing out ones that I was missing - "Hey Weth, there's a PCGS63 of the VAM 9 on buy it now {link}". If you ever interacted with Nate, you know that he would freely share info about coins he found for sale. I do miss Nate a lot. Anyway, by now I have at least three examples of every currently listed 1885-O VAM variety except for the VAM 13A. So this is my quest. Or, rather, one of my quests. I'd really, really, like to find an 1899P VAM 2 clashed, but not polished (after VAM 2, but before VAM 2A). And an 1883P VAM 24 before any clash happened. So many goals...

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Sat Feb 23, 2019 8:46 pm

Well I found it, it's a McClaren Collection II coin ans was arbitrated by VSS

Mike

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Sat Feb 23, 2019 9:01 pm

Tom, They are not a match, it doesn't have the dye scratch D

weth · Post by **weth** » Sun Feb 24, 2019 6:51 pm

Thanks for checking, Mike! But that doesn't necessarily differentiate things - the VAM 18 got clashed, then got the die scratch at the D. So there are clashed examples of VAM 18 without the D scratch. I'm wondering if this example might match that.

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:03 am

Tom, I think I might have to send it to you to judge for yourself.
There are some similarities to the 18.

Send me a PM with your address and I'll try to get it out in tomorrow's mail.

Mike

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Mon Feb 25, 2019 4:57 pm

tracking number is 9505 5139 1946 9056 1864 46

mailed at 11:00am

weth · Post by **weth** » Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:29 pm

Thank you, Mike! It will be wonderful to finally confirm or deny my suspicions.

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:43 pm

I noticed that you do not have a 13A in your 1885-O Inventory so we made be able to make
a trade

weth · Post by **weth** » Thu Feb 28, 2019 1:18 am

Mike is a SUPERHERO and send me the 1885-O VAM 13A discovery coin.

And it's not a VAM 13!

It's a match for the VAM 18A. Or, rather, it's a mid-die state - clashed, but no scratch above the D in UNITED.
I'm just so ecstatic right now! It's one of those rare moments when frustration is suddenly gone and there is total clarity.

weth · Post by **weth** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:08 pm

I want again to doubly thank Mike - first for loaning me the VAM 13A discovery coin, then for agreeing to trade for it. I didn't want to borrow a discovery coin only to kill it. As it turns out, it is now the VAM 18B.

I sent several examples to LVA to first show that the VAM 13A is in the VAM 18 family, as well as to show the die progression. I think he got things turned around in saying that the 18B is LDS, as I think the scratch developed after the clash. In any case, it seems like "clash and no scratch" is VAM 18B, and "clash and scratch" is 18A:

: weth_LVAletter_070719A.jpg (72.71 KiB) Viewed 9662 times

: weth_LVAletter_070719B.jpg (45.15 KiB) Viewed 9662 times

: weth_1885O_VAM18Aplates.jpg (103.61 KiB) Viewed 9662 times

hairfield1 · Post by **hairfield1** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 8:23 am

Let me the first to say WTG

PacificWR · Post by **PacificWR** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:14 am

Congrats. Do you need help setting up the new page?

weth · Post by **weth** » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:37 pm

PacificWR wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 24, 2019 11:14 am
Congrats. Do you need help setting up the new page?

I would appreciate it!

I believe the contents / photos of the VAM 13A page can go directly to the VAM 18B page.
The new plate photos can be added to the VAM 18A page.

(It was a little odd that LVA didn't make any new plate photos at all for the 18B stage, but whatever).

PacificWR · Post by **PacificWR** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:50 am

All done Tom. Let me know if I need to make any changes.

VAMWorld 2.0

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