1879-O double 18_9 & right stars, rev hub doubling w/ normal O MM
Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2022 5:29 pm
As some of you may have been following the other post http://www.vamworld.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7010, the placement of the mint mark (MM) is one subjective diagnostic to help ID a variety. And, as mentioned, some of the descriptions don’t really match up with the pictures making it a bit more difficult to type a series that is straightforward compared to other years and mints. But it's a start.
The coin I have in hand is an interesting addition to the story. First, the hunt is easily cut down by the wonderful hub doubling that was first described in the VAM-30 listing (and the 1878-P C3b varieties).
I believed this might be a VAM-33 based on the description of the obverse: “Slightly doubled top and back edge of Phrygian cap” and “all right stars towards rim” because these are definitely seen: showing right stars 1-4 (R1-R4), but I don’t see the doubling of the “URIBUS UNUM letters on top towards rim” (not shown but can if you’d like to see them).
The 33, as well as the 32/34, 35 and 36 (and 39A but supposedly not the 39? and possibly the 49 shown in a picture but it isn’t listed) with the reverse hub doubling (and others like the 44/44A without the hub doubling) have doubling of the top and back of the cap, as does this coin, but this coin shows what I believe is a clear doubling of the 18_9 (but not the 7). I'll show the digits in the second half of this post as I've run into the limit of 5...
There are no reverse hub doubled varieties with a doubled 18_9. Although the 43 supposedly has the full date digits doubled, the coin in question doesn’t match the 43’s digit doubling description.
The 33 description also states the reverse has a “O mint mark set slightly high with slight tilt to right” shared with the 30 but we’ve already worked through that not quite being the case. This coin appears to have a normal/slightly high with no tilt mark.
There is a bit of a clash seen on the obv and rev but the placement doesn’t match any of the described potential coins (39A and 42A, and the elusive and unproven 34A). I’m still trying to see if there is any letter transfer, but I don’t think so.
Thus, between the doubled 18_9 (which supposedly would be unique although I can’t rule out the 7 also being doubled), the hub doubled reverse and the MM placement all don’t match up fully to what is described. I’m not sure at all this is a new variety because the series is a bloody mess, but it is an interesting one (at least to me).
Thanks for any thoughts and insight you'd have.
Gary
The coin I have in hand is an interesting addition to the story. First, the hunt is easily cut down by the wonderful hub doubling that was first described in the VAM-30 listing (and the 1878-P C3b varieties).
I believed this might be a VAM-33 based on the description of the obverse: “Slightly doubled top and back edge of Phrygian cap” and “all right stars towards rim” because these are definitely seen: showing right stars 1-4 (R1-R4), but I don’t see the doubling of the “URIBUS UNUM letters on top towards rim” (not shown but can if you’d like to see them).
The 33, as well as the 32/34, 35 and 36 (and 39A but supposedly not the 39? and possibly the 49 shown in a picture but it isn’t listed) with the reverse hub doubling (and others like the 44/44A without the hub doubling) have doubling of the top and back of the cap, as does this coin, but this coin shows what I believe is a clear doubling of the 18_9 (but not the 7). I'll show the digits in the second half of this post as I've run into the limit of 5...
There are no reverse hub doubled varieties with a doubled 18_9. Although the 43 supposedly has the full date digits doubled, the coin in question doesn’t match the 43’s digit doubling description.
The 33 description also states the reverse has a “O mint mark set slightly high with slight tilt to right” shared with the 30 but we’ve already worked through that not quite being the case. This coin appears to have a normal/slightly high with no tilt mark.
There is a bit of a clash seen on the obv and rev but the placement doesn’t match any of the described potential coins (39A and 42A, and the elusive and unproven 34A). I’m still trying to see if there is any letter transfer, but I don’t think so.
Thus, between the doubled 18_9 (which supposedly would be unique although I can’t rule out the 7 also being doubled), the hub doubled reverse and the MM placement all don’t match up fully to what is described. I’m not sure at all this is a new variety because the series is a bloody mess, but it is an interesting one (at least to me).
Thanks for any thoughts and insight you'd have.
Gary