Seeking some logic regarding 1878 VAM80A / VAM80B listings.

[vam_elder]

I have noticed that the listing description for VAM 80B (mid die state) states that it is more common than VAM 80A (late die state), yet the VAM 80B header denotes I-4 / R-6, and VAM 80A is denoted as I-2 /R-5. ?????????
Shouldn't this be the opposite ?

[messydesk]

Ignore the rarity numbers. They were estimates from when the VAM was first listed. I think the rarest is the VAM 80 with no cracks (Clay can confirm). Its existence is keeping me from eliminating VAM 80B.

[vam_elder]

ruh-roh.

[vamnuke]

Yes good luck finding a no-crack; no polish 80; Uber rare IMO; problem is it’s easy to find a VAM 80 attribution on a holder. SO most 80s are really 80Bs; and they are really common and often PL. The sequence goes 80-80B-80A; LDS 80As with blobs of metal at T of UNITED are tough to come by but yes a true 80 is a stopper. I own a cleaned AU with -0- die cracking and an unc. PL with just the faintest trace of cracking; neither has any of the polish lines seen on later die state coins. I’d be willing to bet the population of true 80s are way less than what shows up in the pops. Hope that helps.

[mark]

Yes good luck finding a no-crack; no polish 80; Uber rare IMO; problem is it’s easy to find a VAM 80 attribution on a holder. SO most 80s are really 80Bs; and they are really common and often PL. The sequence goes 80-80B-80A; LDS 80As with blobs of metal at T of UNITED are tough to come by but yes a true 80 is a stopper. I own a cleaned AU with -0- die cracking and an unc. PL with just the faintest trace of cracking; neither has any of the polish lines seen on later die state coins. I’d be willing to bet the population of true 80s are way less than what shows up in the pops. Hope that helps.

Learn something new every day.. I had no idea there was a state of VAM-80 without the die cracks.. Great, now I have to find one.

[vamnuke]

Polish lines aren’t present on EDS coins either; yes very 2-sided PL too. I’ll bet the pop in the registries are way wrong too; but hey generally the TPGs just know VAM 80 and don’t know suffixes exist. Also, many collectors will take a holder attribution at face value and never look under the hood so to speak. All IMO.

[vamnuke]

Photo OP needed so 80 and 80B pages can be properly updated. Will put on the to-do list…