CascadeChris wrote: ↑Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:12 pm
I've heard the 53 is a rare bird. I have a 53A in PCGS 63 (I think) I've been meaning to maybe throw up on the BST for a while but haven't yet. Is the 53A on the same level or similar as the 53 or is the 53 the one most want?
What a sexy example too Lee!
Thanks Tom, Chris and Dennis. I'm super happy about this pick. And I did cherry pick this one. It was not in the attributed holder. By the end of the auction it was clear that at least one other knew it was a 53. But I still got it for much less than it could be sold for now. No, I'm not selling.
Chris,
I can only answer by my experience with constant looking for VAM-53, 53A, and 29s. They are something that I have looked for constantly. When I first started looking at VAMs I got a clashed 1880 in a Global holder. I didn't know what I had, but Pete and Mitch gave me advise about my coin. It turned out it was a VAM-53A that I cracked out and is now in a PCGS MS-62 holder. So began my obsession with 53, 53A, and 29s. I've picked a few, but I have always been hunting an MS VAM-53 (or any problem free VAM-53). Now I have it. My experience tells me that VAM-53As are the easiest to find of the three VAMs (the single clashed version harder to find than the double clashed version). VAM-29 a bit more rare, and the VAM-53 very hard to find. This is the first MS that I have found. Of all the PCGS attributed VAM-53s that I have ever seen quality photos of, only 2 are VAM-53s. My MS-63PL and the MS-64PL on the PCGS site. The SSDC census shows 6 VAM-53s and 16 VAM-53As. Of the 6 VAM-53s, 3 are ANACS, two are PCGS, and one is NGC. My coin is the only 53 with photos to show it is a 53.
I'm not sure about which one is wanted more by others. If they want it for PCGS sets, it likely doesn't make a difference because they label both as VAM-53. But I can tell you that this is a much bigger find in my book than a 53A.
