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1921 Morgan Dollar
ANACS MS-63
VAM-1A Top 100
DISCOVERY SPECIMEN:
MULTIPLE CONTINUOUS DIE CRACKS
The obverse and the reverse of this original Morgan Silver Dollar are well struck and exhibit cartwheel luster over creamy satin fields. The obverse of this specimen displays light golden toning along most of the periphery, extending into portions of the field and Miss Liberty's portrait. There are also traces of iridescent plum and pink toning. The obverse exhibits a puffy cheek and Miss Liberty's portrait displays some light overall frosting.
The reverse displays light golden toning which is interspersed with some plum and cobalt toning around much of the periphery, and extends somewhat into the fields.
Of particular note are numerous die cracks that originate on the reverse and pass through the planchet to the obverse. The first die crack starts at the rim at approximately K-10, passes through the top serifs of the P in PLURIBUS, and terminates approximately at the top serif of the L in PLURIBUS. This die crack continues in a counter-clockwise motion from the P in PLURIBUS, passing under the dot between the E in E PLURIBUS and continues to pass through the E, all the stars preceding the E in E PLURIBUS and terminates at the rim below the 1 in 19. The second die crack begins at the 2 in 21, passes through the 1, extends below the first star near the denticles, continues through all the stars to the right of the date, and terminates in the star after the M in UNUM at approximately K-4. The obverse of this specimen exhibits numerous die clash marks.
The reverse exhibits four die cracks, which pass through the planchet to the obverse. The first die crack originates at the denticle above and to the left of the second T in STATES at approximately K-11, passes through the top of the first T and S in STATES and through the eagle's right wing tip, passes through the denticles between the D and the wing tip, where it continues through the top of the E and T of UNITED and terminates at the top of the serif at the I in UNITED. The second die crack begins at the west side of the G in GOD, passes through the N and I in IN, continues through the top 1/3 portion of the eagle's right wing, and terminates at the base of the E in UNITED. There is a third die crack that starts at the star between UNITED and ONE at approximately K-8 and terminates at the rim between the O and N in ONE at approximately K-7. The fourth die crack begins at the eagle's left wing tip and terminates at the denticles above the F in OF at approximately K-1. The reverse of this specimen exhibits numerous die clash marks.
As ANACS did not discover these die cracks, it is probable that the clash marks seen on this example were construed as bag marks and thus contributed to its given grade.
This VAM-1A Top 100 variety is listed on page 388 of the fourth edition of the "Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars" by Leroy C. Van Allen & A. George Mallis:
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"Reverse: 17 berry reverse with pitted die around eagle's tail feathers and center of wreath and many hundreds of fine polishing marks on lower part of die."
This VAM-1A Top 100 variety is also listed on page 119 of "The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties: The VAM Keys" by Michael S. Fey, Ph.D and Jeff Oxman:
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"Key Identifier: The wreath to the left of the ribbon bow on the Reverse shows dramatic pitting, as does the area around it."
"Comments: Often referred to as a "rusted die", the reverse of the VAM 1A is the most extreme case of pitting of any silver dollar."
The fate of this reverse die is now known by the die cracks exhibited on this specimen. Certainly very few, if any, subsequent examples could have been struck by this die before its total failure. This is an important discovery specimen, deserving a place in the highest caliber error/die variety or Morgan Silver Dollar collection.
1921 Morgan Dollar Original
Mintage: 44,690,000
The ANACS Population Report
Census By Grade March 2002
1921 Morgan Dollar VAM-1A Top 100 in Mint State
| MS 60 | MS 61 | MS 62 | MS 63 | MS 64 | MS 65 | MS 66 | MS 67 | MS 68 | MS 69 | MS 70 |
| 2 | 12 | 37 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total Graded: 106
1921 Morgan Dollar
ANACS MS-63
VAM-1A Top 100
DISCOVERY SPECIMEN:
MULTIPLE CONTINUOUS DIE CRACKS
$495.00
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