Name That VAM - 1891-O edition

[RogerB]

Would the special assay paperwork be pay off the assay commission records on your DVDs of the assay commission reports?

No. Special Assay was a completely separate internal check on quality. It's purpose was to ensure that all precious metal coins from each mint met legal standards. Sometimes, problems were caught before the coins were issued and thousands were melted. Here's a sample of the report form used in 1891. Omitted delivery numbers were for other denominations of coin and appeared on another sheet.

18910905 P Special Assay report-2 sm.jpg (158.51 KiB) Viewed 1110 times

New Orleans and other mint report were in the same format. All Special Assays were performed at Mint HQ in the Treasury building, Washington, D.C.

[RogerB]

Has anyone specifically identified the variety? Prominence of the "E" could be the key....?

[vamsterdam]

rogerB, clearly a vam 1A, and maybe a later die state(v1a3?) if the dies were reported to be " evidently fractured".

[RogerB]

Presumably "fractured" refers to what we would now call extensive die cracks, so that would, as suggested, imply a die that had seen considerable use (or abuse).

I've checked all the files I have and in NNP, but have not found the Special Assay report that would cover this variety. But -- we have less than 10% of Mint files available.

[impairedsquirrel]

I feel as if a person that noticed the E would also notice the mound of 1a2/1a3, so I'm gonna say 1a4 with the possibility that the bridge and other clashing was written off as addition die "fractures".

[lioncutter]

These dies that created the 1A were definitely over used to the point the mound break looked like this.

[RogerB]

Certainly prominent, but not mentioned in the letter.

The Special Assay coins had to pass through inspection before selection.

[pup_picker]

i can't help but wonder if the "fracture" that they, whomever they are, are referring to, is that monstrous eye clash on the reverse and fracture was simply the term applied that that "damaged"?

good point about the person giving the coin to Preston being the technical discoverer but that does not have documented proof, so I think at best, that would earn a co-discovery. since there was no official vam designater, we cannot say whom the discoverer would be since there was no convening authority and far as i know, it isn't necessarily whom reports the coin but whom submits it to the authority, these days being mr. van allen.

to not give co-credit to mr. preston and possibly mr. whitehead would be doing this all a great disservice, even if they are just simply mentioned here on the pages posthumously.

simply a fantastic find and beyond fun for morgan silver dollar fans and vams alike.