1900-S VAM-27 LDS Crowned 1, Devil’s Horns 9, add pictures, fix Comment 2 please

[Mike7E]

One of the interesting aspects of many VAMs is their late die stages. The obverse of 1900-S VAM-27 and its predecessor VAM-29 are two of several that year with notable die breaks at the date making them easily recognizable. The later die state of Vam-27 has a crown on the 1 and devil’s horns on the 9.

a) Date 19 1900-S V-27 XF.jpg (192.97 KiB) Viewed 286 times

I picked up an XF 1900-S back in March of 2017, ‘19’ pic above, and couldn’t find an exact match on the old VAMWorld site but thought it might be a LDS VAM-6 with a date die break that had deteriorated further from the page pictures. I liked it so much I started to look for similar ones on the Heritage Auction site and eventually was able to win a PCGS MS63 and a PCGS MS64 (arghhhh not cheap). Date pics for both are below with grader, grade, Heritage’s auction and lot numbers in their file names. Note that pictures in this post were cropped from the Heritage Auction full coin photos except for those of my three coins and the VAMWorld 2.0 page pics.

b) Date 1900-S V-27 PCGS 63 HA A131802 L23770.jpg (66.12 KiB) Viewed 286 times

c) Date 1900-S V-27 PCGS MS 64 HA A1274 L 8104.jpg (67.52 KiB) Viewed 286 times

Revisiting the coins on the new VAMWorld 2.0 site I found that these three coins are VAM-27 “Discovery 2019 by PacificWR”, @PacificWR but the "Exact same reverse die" listing is wrong in Comment 2. There are several additional reverse points that should be added to the page also.

I needed a project so I started to look at the Heritage Auctions “Resources – Research Auction Archives” for previously sold 1900-S Morgans as the die break on mine looked more extensive than that on the VAM-27 page. Per the pages VAM-27 and VAM-29 have the same obverse and my review shows VAM-29 is an earlier die pair as the date die break becomes much stronger on the VAM-27 sequence.

Date die break progression: The VAM-29 page has an excellent high resolution photo of the date that shows the die break/crack at an earlier stage. It starts at the edge of the 5th left denticle, moves up with a rise above the 2nd left denticle, meets the bust point then lightly tracks along it (stronger in later die states) then travels in a slight arc above the top of the 1 to the top left of the 9.

d) Date 1900-S V-27 PCGS 63PL CAC HA A1192 L9028.jpg (104.51 KiB) Viewed 286 times

Above: The next version I found has the die break progressing to the right side of the 9 with a faint line towards the first 0. The right horn is starting to show.

e) Date 1900-S_VAM-27_LVA_Plate_1 (2).jpg (134.75 KiB) Viewed 286 times

The page picture shows the break starting to extend to the top of the 1 with two horns on the 9 but they are not prominent. The break is now stronger from the 9 to the first 0.

[Mike7E]

f) Date1900-S V-27 PCGS 66 HA A1258 L4547.jpg (94.25 KiB) Viewed 285 times

The next one shows ‘Bart Simpson’s haircut’ type crown on the 1 while the 9 has both horns with the break continuing to the first 0.

g) Date 1900-S V-27 ANACS 53 HA A210124 L26260.jpg (70.54 KiB) Viewed 285 times

Late die stage of 26260 (only an AU53), similar to my XF, shows the crown breaking up and two prominent horns on the 9.

I had some issues ‘sorting’ the date pics that I cropped from the Heritage FCPs as I was concerned that die polishing was leading me astray. Also, the pics vary due to the resolution and the color/luster lighting effects for each coin. I cropped other features from the FCP and tried to sort them by die crack/break at nose, die crack/break Phrygian Cap, die breaks in lower hair and so on with mixed results. The die breaks in the hair are progressive but not enough to sort except as early, mid or late with the breaks becoming blobs at the very late state.

Trying to quantify the die state using these features proved challenging, and eventually I determined that the reverse die was relatively new and I could use the details on the Eagle’s talons to show die progression. Even with the luster issues this worked well. Note the die scratch at the upper tail feathers on Eagle’s left side that is on all of the VAM-27 reverses that I saw.
Reverse digression:

h) 1900-S PCGS 63PL CAC HA A192 L9028 talons.jpg (56.14 KiB) Viewed 285 times

Earliest that I found above.

i) 1900-S PCGS 66 HA A1258 L4547 talons.jpg (61.36 KiB) Viewed 285 times

j) 1900-S PCGS 63 A1105 L8979 talons.jpg (57.88 KiB) Viewed 285 times

[Mike7E]

k) 1900-S ANACS AU53 A210124 L26260 talons.jpg (60.6 KiB) Viewed 280 times

latest that I found.

Back to obverse:

Every coin in the study has raised reed like marks at the jaw-neck line from die damage (see “1900-S VAM-29 (-27) Reed Clash Marks at Jaw-Neck” posted Sun Jan 31, 2021, where I misattributed the group as V-29 when it is V-27)

l) Ear 1900-S V-27 XF.jpg (211.2 KiB) Viewed 280 times

Quadrupled+ ear bottom, probably from die deterioration

I did find that the page listed die scratches in “ER” of LIBERTY faded away with die aging, however they are always visible at the top of the I. Some smaller scratches under the L came and went also.

m) Left stars 1-4 field 1900-S V-27 PCGS 63 HA A131743 L27617.jpg (154.05 KiB) Viewed 280 times

n) Left stars 1-4 field 1900-S V-27 PCGS 65 HA A1191 L4444.jpg (140.02 KiB) Viewed 280 times

Above: Die surface roughness in field from wear, and more date examples.

Reverse: S - type V, set high and right. (page states High S)
Since all of the pictures have the same reverse die and the date sorting for the VAM-27 shows it is not the earliest in the sequence I have to assume that it has the same reverse. @PacificWR could you review your discovery piece please, and advise.

The VAM-27 page has “Reverse C3d” “Die Marker - Some slanted short die scratches in middle of eagle's left wing and one on fourth feather from wing bottom.” While this is hard to see on the pictures there are lines that might be these. I suggest the PUPs below be added.

Comment 2 is incorrect, it states: “Exact same reverse die as the 1900-S VAM-3, 1900-S VAM-7, 1900-S VAM-17 & 1900-S VAM-24.” This was added to the page at a later date than Comment 1 and needs correction.
VAMs -3, -7 and -17 are noted as Reverse C3c and C3e, having a type IV S over S that is only set slightly high, see below.

o) 1900-S_VAM-3_Mint_Mark (1) Lines.jpg (310.32 KiB) Viewed 280 times

VAM-3 MM
None of the reverses I reviewed have a S/S and they are a type V S that is set high and right, see Bow and MM pics below.
The reverse might match VAM-24 reverse die 1 “Die marker - Die 1 Die polishing lines in wing-neck gap.” But there is no picture of this to compare to. (The bow lines for Die 2 are very different.) VAM-24 is an @fogie discovery so perhaps he can help.
break
Every reverse that I found has the following PUPs, though light on some:

[Mike7E]

Wreath Bow Below:: 2 or 3 polishing lines near the top running from northwest to southeast, two mid-bow lines running from west to east and a few small die chips near the bottom. The strength of these lines varies somewhat in the pictures.
MM Type V MM set high and right.

p) Bow MM 1900-S PCGS 65 HA A1153 L4174.jpg (205.02 KiB) Viewed 279 times

q) Bow MM 1900-S PCGS 64 HA A1173 L9035.jpg (175.24 KiB) Viewed 279 times

All versions also have long die scratches under the MM, ONE DOLLAR, and STATES OF.

Wing gap: some, but not all, have dots along the wing line.

r) wing gap 1900-S V-27 PCGS MS63 HA A131802 L23770.jpg (108.5 KiB) Viewed 279 times

s) wing gap 1900-S V-27 PCGS 64 HA A2813 L23328.jpg (43.72 KiB) Viewed 279 times

Left star has a progressive die break to the O in ONE as the die ages. Shows die is aging but not a good PUP.

t) Star to O 1900-S V-27 NGC 61 HA A131203 L23553.jpg (63.95 KiB) Viewed 279 times

Die study sources, my unscientific look at this VAM: A search of Heritage Auction archives listed 2144 examples of 1900-S on 9/27/20. Not all listings had pictures and some of the older pictures were low resolution leaving 1,444 for review. Of these 39 were VAM-27 for a 2.7% (no VAM-29 was found). However, I found at least one coin, Auction 131804 Lot 27669, where it was bought as PCGS MS64+ for $600 on Jan 21, 2018 then re-slabbed by NGC as MS65+ and resold at Auction 1278 Lot 4808 for $1260 on Aug 16, 2018. This drops the percentage to 2.6%. The VAMWorld 1900-S page states 22 Obverse dies were used giving each die a contribution of 4.54% of the mintage so this obverse seems to have been retired earlier than most or the coins from it entered circulation at a higher rate than others. I know the Granite Lady has massive vaults for storage, as I did the tour years ago, so not sure how many would have circulated but I did buy an XF and there are at least two AU coins in the auction archives.

Could someone fix Comment 2 and post a picture of the ‘crowned 1 devil’s horns 9’, reverse pictures of ‘Wreath Bow with MM’ and ‘Wing gap’ or link to this post? Thanks
All feedback is welcome and hope you think this study interesting. If I wasn’t retired it might not have happened.

[keilg1]

Wonderful read and great work.

[PacificWR]

Mike 7E,

Give me two or three days to pull my DC's from the SDP and we will go over both VAMs.

[PacificWR]

k) 1900-S ANACS AU53 A210124 L26260 talons.jpg
latest that I found.

Back to obverse:

Every coin in the study has raised reed like marks at the jaw-neck line from die damage (see “1900-S VAM-29 (-27) Reed Clash Marks at Jaw-Neck” posted Sun Jan 31, 2021, where I misattributed the group as V-29 when it is V-27)
l) Ear 1900-S V-27 XF.jpg
Quadrupled+ ear bottom, probably from die deterioration

I did find that the page listed die scratches in “ER” of LIBERTY faded away with die aging, however they are always visible at the top of the I. Some smaller scratches under the L came and went also.

m) Left stars 1-4 field 1900-S V-27 PCGS 63 HA A131743 L27617.jpg
n) Left stars 1-4 field 1900-S V-27 PCGS 65 HA A1191 L4444.jpg
Above: Die surface roughness in field from wear, and more date examples.

Reverse: S - type V, set high and right. (page states High S)
Since all of the pictures have the same reverse die and the date sorting for the VAM-27 shows it is not the earliest in the sequence I have to assume that it has the same reverse. @PacificWR could you review your discovery piece please, and advise.

The VAM-27 page has “Reverse C3d” “Die Marker - Some slanted short die scratches in middle of eagle's left wing and one on fourth feather from wing bottom.” While this is hard to see on the pictures there are lines that might be these. I suggest the PUPs below be added.

Comment 2 is incorrect, it states: “Exact same reverse die as the 1900-S VAM-3, 1900-S VAM-7, 1900-S VAM-17 & 1900-S VAM-24.” This was added to the page at a later date than Comment 1 and needs correction.
VAMs -3, -7 and -17 are noted as Reverse C3c and C3e, having a type IV S over S that is only set slightly high, see below.
o) 1900-S_VAM-3_Mint_Mark (1) Lines.jpg
VAM-3 MM
None of the reverses I reviewed have a S/S and they are a type V S that is set high and right, see Bow and MM pics below.
The reverse might match VAM-24 reverse die 1 “Die marker - Die 1 Die polishing lines in wing-neck gap.” But there is no picture of this to compare to. (The bow lines for Die 2 are very different.) VAM-24 is an @fogie discovery so perhaps he can help.
break
Every reverse that I found has the following PUPs, though light on some:

Mike,

You are correct on comment #2 for the Reverse of VAM-27. Fogie added comment #2 to the VAM-27 page on December 20, 2022, and should not have done that. I have since corrected the VAM-27 page. My 1900-S Reverse attribution Guide clearly shows this.