VAM Rarity Analysis information
Die varieties, VAMs are more rare than a
common date coin. In many cases there are only a handful of known
examples for a particular variety (e.g. the 1878 VAM-14.11 Top 100 coin).
In other cases, more than half the coins of a particular date are examples
of the VAM (the 1891-CC VAM-3 Spitting Eagle Top 100 Coin for example).
The resources below contain
population information that may help you asses just how hard it is to find a
particular VAM and how hard you should fight in an auction to own a coin
that rarely comes on the market. The information may also help you
decide when you can "pass" and wait for a better example to become
available. For the population reports please remember that
some unusual influences may skew the data. Common coins are less
likely to be slabbed than rare coins. Common coins are
underrepresented by this phenomenon. Rare coins are certified, and
high prices often drive people to crack out coins and resubmit them in an
attempt to resubmit them in hopes of getting a higher grade. The
population reports are a great first-order indication of rarity. Don't
use it as your only decision making tool.
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Top 100 Morgan Population
analysis: growth from October 2003 to November 2004