Kudos to Mark Kimpton, M.D., on the publication of his new reference book titled Elite Clashed Morgan Dollars! The 147 page book offer hundreds of photographs, descriptions, rarity estimates and values for a variety of new clashed Morgan Dollar discoveries, some of which have been hiding in plain view of our Top 100 varieties.
Prior to 2002, there were less than 25 known clashed Morgan dollar varieties. Between 2002 and 2005 over 150 clashed varieties had been discovered. This explosion in the growth of known clashed Morgan dollar varieties led to the publication of the ?Elite Clashed Morgan Dollars? book. This book highlights some of the most desirable examples of clashed Morgan dollar varieties. It also introduces the SUPER CLASHED DIE collection or SUPER CD?s for short. This collection includes some of the most interesting, and in many cases rare, examples of clashed Morgan dollar varieties known. The explosion in the growth and popularity of clashed Morgan dollars has spurned countless collectors to pursue these varieties with a passion. These pursuits have led to numerous new finds since 2005 that are worthy of note as well. I would like to highlight a few of these new discoveries that collectors may not yet be aware of.
The new ?frontier? in clashed Morgan dollar collecting is still in its infancy. As more collectors become aware of some of these fascinating coins, and how rare they are, I am confident that this area of collecting will continue to grow. For the time being new and exciting discoveries are still being made at a considerable pace. For this reason the SUPER CD collection was not limited by a number, much like the TOP 100 or HOT 50. The SUPER CD?s may at some time include other examples that are not in the original 25 varieties included in the ?Elite Clashed Morgan Dollars? book. When the book was written it was understood that the future would hold new finds. It is hoped that further exciting finds would be included into the SUPER CD collection at a future date. With that in mind here are a few thoughts about a group of varieties that are worth keeping your eyes open for.
As a collector I am fascinated by a great many varieties. It is such a thrill to go to a coin show and find interesting, and occasionally rare varieties, in amongst the ?average? coins. It?s even better when I can get these great varieties at ?average? prices. This challenge is getting harder as time marches on as the popularity of Morgan dollar varieties grows. The challenge then becomes, ?how do I get ahead of the curve?? What might be the next big thing in Morgan dollar collecting, and how can I get in on the ground floor before the flood gates are wide open? I believe that possibility still exists in the field of clashed Morgan dollar varieties. The 25 known SUPER CD?s are already seeing impressive premiums and their popularity is only beginning. With the clashed discoveries that have recently been made, what might be the next great variety to be on the lookout for? Following is a list of examples you may want to pursue: 1878 P VAM 225A, 1878 CC VAM 7A, 1879 CC VAM 2B, 1882 O VAM 38A, 1890 O VAM 1C, 1890 O VAM 2A, 1891 O VAM 18A, 1896 O VAM 18A, 1898 O VAM 4A, 1902 O VAM 45A, 1921 P VAM 31A, and the 1921 P VAM 53. Time and space will not allow me to go into any great detail for each of these varieties for now, perhaps the subject of another book down the road, however I would like to point out a few characteristics to look for on each of these varieties.
The 1878 P VAM 225A, 1890 O VAM 1C, 1921 P VAM 31A and 1921 P VAM 53 are all denticle clashed varieties. They join the 1878 S VAM 17A and 1921 P VAM 40A as entirely new types of varieties that have only recently been uncovered. The fact that examples have been found at the beginning of Morgan dollar production in 1878 until the end of production in 1921 as well as dates in between sparks the imagination. What other denticle varieties are out there waiting to be discovered? An interesting point to note is that the 1921 P VAM 53 is the first denticle clashed variety found with the details on the obverse of the coin. The possibility for the number of clashed denticle varieties to grow is almost certain. This may even become a field of study on its own some day.
The 1878 CC VAM 7A, 1879 CC VAM 2B, 1890 O VAM 2A, and 1896 O VAM 18A are all clashed ?G,t? varieties. These represent not one but two errors on the same variety. The reason the ?G? can be found in front of Miss Liberty?s neck is that there is clockwise rotation of the dies that places the ?G? in an area that can be seen when the dies clashed. This group of coins are affectionately called ?Adam?s apple? varieties and are considerably hard to find. Many in this series are still unknown in mint state condition.
The 1882 O VAM 38A is included in this list for its sheer amount of clashed details that can be seen on a single variety. It includes the ?D? from the reverse legend ?DOLLAR?, both the first and last ?t? from the word ?trust?, as well as a faint amount of the ?G? all found on the obverse of the coin. On the reverse the designer?s initial ?M? can be found above the ?We? of ?In God We Trust?.
The 1891 O VAM 18A is unique in the clashed variety category. The clashing occurred with the dies shifted in position to each other. This results in the clashed details being found in areas not seen on any other variety. The ?M? designer?s initial is found UNDER the reverse motto, all other clashed ?M?s? have been found ABOVE the reverse motto. Details of the reverse motto ?IN GOD WE TRUST? can be seen on the obverse of the coin under Miss Liberty?s hair curls. This is again a unique position to find these details. Nearly the entire reverse motto can be partially seen on the obverse. The only known example is in XF condition. A nicer specimen to examine would be a great find.
The 1898 O VAM 4A is the only clashed ?O? mint mark variety known that does NOT have a clashed ?E? reverse to go with it. The obverse of this variety shows very nice details of a clashed ?I,n and t? on the obverse as well as the ?O? mint mark. The reverse of the coin does not show any clashed letter details. Clashed mint mark varieties may end up being the hardest examples of any type of clashed variety to find.
The 1902 O VAM 45A is the RAREST variety known to exist. First it is a stunning example of clashed details as the discovery piece showed very deep design transfer. The clashing occurred with the largest amount of counter clockwise rotation found in the Morgan dollar series known so far. The result is the ?s,t? of ?trust? being high and to the right of the hair vee area. This rotation also places just a slight amount of the ?I? from the word ?In? found in front of Miss Liberty?s neck. Why is this the rarest variety known to exist? Because the ONLY known example, the discovery piece itself, was confirmed and then lost in the mail! It is known, and photos have been taken of the variety, however no one owns one. The hunt is on to find the next 1902 O VAM 45A!
This book will give you a whole new insight into critically looking at your silver dollars for die clashing, die states, and rotations. Who would have thought that an ?O? mint mark could be found on the obverse of a silver dollar? Dr. Kimpton will earn his place in numismatic history as the ?Father of Clashed Morgan Dollars?. I strongly recommend that all advance silver dollar specialists read this! |
Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars
