The 1956 Franklin Half Dollar was struck with two different reverse designs, Type I and Type II, concerning the small eagle on the reverse. Type I features four distinct feathers to the left of the perch, while the Type II shows only three visible feathers. Both types were minted, with Type I used for both circulation strikes and proofs, and Type II primarily used on proofs.
The reason for this post is the value of Type I proofs. This design was exclusively for business strikes. That makes proofs with this design valuable. For instance, in mint state PR64, type I retails for $210 while Type II goes for $44.
As you can see, identifying Type I will bring huge value that only increases with if cameo or deep cameo. At gem PR65, Type I cameo retails for $225 and deep cameo, $975; compare to Type II, cameo PR65, $67, and Type II, deep cameo, $165.
Here’s how to tell, compliments PCGS CoinFacts:
You can count those feathers as die markers. But an easier way is to note how Type I has a poor strike, not showing the complete feathers:
That’s where to look.
The best way to find Type I is via proof sets, which typically go for $50:
You will need magnification on sets like the one above to see if the offering is Type I or II.
You can find Type I on eBay because the seller doesn’t know what he has:
If you use a photo app to expand the photo, you’ll see this is Type I:
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The 1878-S Morgan has a mintage of 9,774,000 and is valuable in higher grades, but a small detail on an otherwise even silver melt coin is a coveted variety. It’s called “Long Nock.”
Let’s define “Nock,” an uncommon word, except for archers, whose definition is a notch at either end of a bow for holding the string.
So right off the word leads us to the quiver of arrows held by the eagle on the reverse.
Morgan 1878-S “Long Nock” coin refers an extended length of the arrow shaft (the “nock”) in the eagle’s talon. This variety is a result of a design variation used on the first set of dies delivered to the San Francisco Mint.
Let’s compare a regular 1878-S reverse with a “long nock” one with this photo from PCGS CoinFacts:
The “long nock” feature extends the tip of the central arrow.
This variety has several specific variations in the VAM directory (named after the directory compiled by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis):
These varieties happened because of an urgent need to produce Morgan dollars at various mints in 1878. The first 10 pairs of dies for the San Francisco Mint had the “long nock” design. When the US Mint asked engraver George T. Morgan to revise the design, reducing the relatively high relief (shortening die life), the nock was shortened and the number of tail feathers on the eagle were reduced from eight to seven.
Value for this variety is high but few ever exceed almost uncirculated levels. The top pop at PCGS is AU53.
At Very Fine 20, the coin retails for $275 and increases by about $100 each Sheldon grade higher up until AU53.
Nevertheless, you will find 1878-S Morgans everywhere–even in slabbed coins–with the owner or holdering company missing the variety. (If you submit a coin without identifying and paying for a variety, that designation will not be on the label.)
Happy hunting!
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Five valuable VAMs exist for the 1880-P Morgan dollar whose working dies differed from each other significantly, resulting in their being listed among popular “Top 100” VAM list.
The “spikes” are readily seen above the “8” with another die marker on the “0.” This retails for about $65 in XF40; $180, AU55; and $1,140, MS63.
1880 VAM 7 8/7 Crossbar
1880-P VAM-7 Crossbar overdate is one of the most difficult to identify and rarely found in high grades. VAMWORLD advises to look for the horizontal line crossing the top of the second 8 of the date. Values are XF40, $185; AU55, $485; and MS63, $5,500.
1880 VAM 8 8/7 Ears
The second 8 in the date has two short ears on top. Values are XF40, $1,250; AU55, $5,500; and MS62, $15,500.
1880 VAM 9 8/7 Stem
VAMWORLD states the second 8 has raised metal on right side of upper loop and bottom loop has faint outline 7 stem with raised metal at top right. Values are XF40, $65; AU55, $100; and MS63, $240.
1880 VAM 11 Checkmark
Note the doubled “880” with remains of 7 showing on the upper left surface of the second 8, creating that checkmark. Values are AU55, $90; MS63, $185.
While many 1880-P coins exist in circulated condition, the above VAM varieties are rare in pristine mint state, prooflike and deep mirror.
Also, if seeking to purchase one of these varieties, your best option is to find one slabbed by PCGS. NGC, ANACS or CAC.
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It’s called “hub doubling” for a reason. Before we get into what causes hub doubling, let’s define what the hub actually is and its role in the minting process.
Role of the Hub
A coin hub is a steel tool or punch with “positive,” or raised images of a coin’s design. The Mint uses the hub to create working dies (which have the negative, or sunken, image). The working dies are what actually strike the coin blanks to create the coins of all denominations. Here is an example.
As you can see, a hub is a master tool in the die-making process, ensuring that multiple working dies can be made consistently.
Its life, however, goes through many hands at the Mint. For starters, a design is created by an artist. That process involves dozens of people. A master hub is then made from this design. That creates all the working dies. One pair of working dies can produce hundreds of thousands of coins, and multiple working dies are created from hubs to keep up with large production runs.
Here is an example of working dies made by the hub.
Hub doubling occurs when the working die is misaligned or mismatched with the planchet. Every coin struck from that flawed die will exhibit the same doubling. That is why you cannot find a one-of-a-kind error.
Causes of Doubling
Before the mid 1990s, multiple impressions, or strikes, were required to transfer the complete design from the hub to the working die. A single press wasn’t powerful enough. The die blank had to be repeatedly heated and pressed. This issue often was the cause of doubled dies.
During this process, the hub and the die blank may not have been perfectly aligned during subsequent hubbings. This misalignment results in a duplicated image on the die face deviating from the approved design.
Errors and varieties happen when the hub or die inadvertently expands, contracts or tilts between hubbings due to improper annealing (heating) or pressure issues.
You won’t find many true and prominent modern doubled dies because the Mint now uses what is called “Single-Squeeze Process.” In other words, a high-pressure squeeze creates the die without all that warming and striking.
Here’s an example of that machine.
Doubling can still occur in the single-squeeze process if the hub slightly rotates or shifts under the extreme pressure before settling into place.
Also, the new machinery also virtually eliminated what used to be called “repunched mintmark.”
Hub doubling is a flaw in the die itself, so all coins produced by that die will show identical doubling. This is different from machine doubling, which is a minor, flat, shelf-like doubling that occurs during the actual coin striking process due to the die bouncing or shifting. As the working die deteriorates and is not changed for a new one by a Mint employee, you also will get machine doubling due to die deterioration.
Here’s an example of hub doubling featuring raised and rounded impressions v. machine doubling’s flat impressions.
Now let’s see how a true hub doubled die looks with the most famous example below.
Most Famous Example: 1955 DDO
The 1955 DDO is one of the most pronounced examples of hub doubling. You are not apt to see another like this because of the new improved machinery at the Mint. But this happened then because of pressure on the Mint to produce more cents in a high intensity work environment for the employees.
The night shift was so busy that many of the doubled die cents were mixed with other cents and released into circulation before the error was discovered. Employees and supervisors who learned about the mistake were not coin collectors. They actually believed the defective items had no special value.
The 1955 DDO is the top doubled die, with values between $1,000 to $300,000+ (depending on condition). Here are other Lincoln Cent doubled dies:
1969-S DDO
Clear doubling on the date, “LIBERTY,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” ($13,000 to $600,000 depending on condition).
There is also an ultra-rare 1958 doubled die penny, but only three have been found to date.
Numismatic News reported in 2023 that GreatCollections of Irvine, Calif., handled the sale of the above coin. It received 117 bids and was hammered at $1,136,250 with buyer’s fee.
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The Carson City mint closed in 1893, but 7 years later, the mintmark appeared on a Morgan dollar in New Orleans, making this variety one of the most popular in the series.
So how did the 1900-O/CC Morgan Dollar happen?
When the Carson City mint closed, its dies and other minting equipment were sent to Philadelphia Mint. To save funds, rather than make and ship new dies to New Orleans, a Mint employee was tasked with polishing the die, removing the CC and adding the O. As it turns out, he wasn’t a very good employee, failing to remove the CC before striking the “O” over it, resulting in the “O/CC” variety.
Hobbyists who collect all CC Morgans typically add the 1900-O/CC to their collection. It also is required for some set registries. And VAM enthusiasts (VAM catalogues Morgan varieties) especially like the overmintmark error, designating it with these distinctions: VAM-7, VAM-8, VAM-10, VAM-11, VAM-12 and more.
We’ll use VAM designations to show the difference in prominence of the overmintmark.
Hobbyists favor VAMs 10-12 because of the prominence of the overmintmark. All of these above varieties are on the Top 100 most desirable Morgan VAMs.
All 1900-O/CC varieties are valuable, typically more than $100 in any worn condition. At VF40, value rises to $300; AU55, $450; and MS63, $1400.
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These varieties not only are popular and valuable but often required for complete set registries of top holdering companies: 1879-CC Capped Die, 1879-S Reverse of 1878, 1880/79-O, 1880/9-S, 1882-O/S Strong, 1882-O/S Weak, and 1887/6 and 1887/6-O.
This article provides key diagnostics so you can identify these valuable coins.
1879-CC Capped Die
The capped die variety happened when the Mint decided to change the small CC into the larger mintmark. An employee tried to tool away the smaller CC and replace it with the larger one. He didn’t do a very good job.
Hobbyists tend to prefer the clear mintmark to the distorted one. The process of effacing the die, or die cap, gave the variety its nickname. As for value, both are rare and desirable through almost uncirculated grades, with the clear mintmark bringing $4,500 in AU55, about $1,000 higher than the variety. But in uncirculated grades, the variety is more valuable, with an MS63 Capped CC commanding a retail price of $10,000 and the clear mintmark about $500 less.
1879-S Rev. of 78
While the 1879-S is a relatively common coin, the reverse of 78 is a rare and coveted variety with a mere 8,900 thought to have survived out of a mintage of 9,110,000. The production that year began with the 1878 reverse dies but were halted early in the process for the 79 variety. The 1878 reverse dies feature a flat-breasted eagle and parallel top arrow feathers whereas the regular reverse has a rounded breast and larger top feature at a slant.
The new “Reverse of 1879” dies were quickly put into production, making the Reverse of 1878 variety a notable and desirable key date for collectors.
As you might expect, the 78 reverse commands much higher values across conditions with an MS63 worth $1,600 while the regular mintmark coin goes for $100.
1880/79-O
The 1880/79-O Morgan dollar variety resulted from the New Orleans Mint reusing an older, dated die from 1879 by re-engraving it with the new 1880 date. The mint worker did not fully erase the older date, so faint traces of the “79” are visible beneath the “80.” (Note: The same happened at the San Francisco Mint with an even weaker trace of the overdate–so weak that we exclude it from this article.)
Both practices of repurposing older dies was a way to conserve resources.
Here is the 1880/79-O overdate, compliments PCGS CoinFacts:
Because the remnant of the numbers 79 are usually faint, you may need a coin microscope to identify this variety. As for value, a regular 1880-O at MS63 retails for $90 whereas the 1880/79 goes for $800. That makes it very desirable.
1880/9-S
There are many VAM varieties (catalog of die markers) in 1880 Morgans, including 1880 VAM 6 8/7, 1880 VAM 7 8/7 Crossbar, 1880 VAM 8 8/7 Ears, 1880 VAM 9 8/7 Stem and 1880 VAM 11 Checkmark. We’ll leave those for another date. In this article we focus on the 1880/9-S because these are available and popular but may require a coin microscope to see on worn coins.
The 1880/9-S features the last digit of the date partially struck over the digit “9.” Here’s a PCGS CoinFacts photo showing remnants of the “9” in the overdate:
This variety is attractive because so many 1880-S Morgans were strongly struck and available in high mint state grades. The number of 1880/9-S Morgan dollars is not known out of a total 8,900,000.
An 1880-S at MS63 retails for $90 whereas the overdate goes for $160 at this writing.
1882-O/S Strong, 1882-O/S Weak
In 1882, the New Orleans Mint received a shipment of leftover reverse dies from the San Francisco Mint. A employee polished and overpunched an O on the S, creating the variety. The facility had three different reverse dies re-purposed for the New Orleans mint. Some overpunching was better than others, creating strong and weak versions.
The 1880-O had a modest mintage of 6,090,000. Many were melted in 1918 according to the Pittman Act and a mere 25,000 of the variety are said to have survived making them valuable. In MS63, a strong version retails for $550 and the weak version, $375. A regular 1880-O goes for $110 in that grade.
1887/6 and 1887/6-O
The 1887/6 and 1887/6-O varieties occurred because a U.S. Mint employee reused an existing 1886-dated die for striking 1887 Morgan dollars, but failed to completely erase the original “6” before engraving the new “7,” leaving a faint “6” under the “7.”
These usually are faint and may require a coin microscope to detect.
These overdates were melted in huge numbers according to the Pittman act. A regular 1887 at MS63 retails for $90 and an 1887-O, $275. An 1887/6 retails for $1,000 and an 1887/6-O for $2,400. That price difference is a reason for the popularity of these varieties.
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Sunken die errors occur when a die’s surface deteriorates to such extent that it collapses, typically due to subpar planchets or hardening of those planchets, resulting in a recessed or “sunken” area on the die along with a raised portion of metal.
Let’s begin with showing how similar a sunken die is when compared with a heat damaged coin:
To tell the difference, look for that raised portion on the surface. Heat damaged coins have a bubble-like look from melting metal–a key distinction.
Also, die cracks often appear along the margin of a sunken die.
The opposite side of a sunken-die coin shows more of the design with tell-tale deformities depending on the severity of the die subsidence.
Let’s look at the reverse of the sunken die cent above:
The edge here is largely intact. Also, elements of the design are visible.
Heat damage can affect a coin’s service in several ways due high temperature. For instance, a coin melted in part in a house fire may look different from one exposed to a blow torch.
Look for discoloration of the metal ranging from rainbow patina to black or rust-like tone. The heat-damaged coin earlier has the tell-tale rainbow discoloration:
Also, check for edge damage appearing squeezed or distorted due to melting. Edges of sunken dies may have relatively damage-free appearance. If a clad coin, heat also can expose the different metals, often in patches.
In conclusion, here are key differences
Origin: Sunken die errors occur during the minting process due to a flawed die, while heat damage occurs after the coin has been minted due to environmental factors.
Nature of abnormality: Sunken die errors typically manifest as a raised area on the coin’s surface, exposing the sunken portion of the die. Heat damage can create a range of surface irregularities, discoloration, and deformation not associated with the die’s design.
Context: If a coin exhibits a raised area that seems to be a part of the original design, but appears distorted or indistinct, it might be a sunken die error. If the coin shows signs of burning, melting, or discoloration, it’s more likely to be heat damage.
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Known by its distinctive golden surface and edge lettering, the Native American dollar, introduced in 2009, is a continuation of the Sacagawea dollar series, featuring her on the obverse and a different reverse design each year. There are several major varieties, featured here, and several weak/partial/missing edge and position varieties.
Let’s cover the latter first:
Position A: The edge lettering is upside down when the obverse (Sacagawea’s portrait side) is facing up.
Position B: The edge lettering is right-side up when the obverse is facing up.
Here’s an illustration:
Edge lettering is applied after the coin is struck with both positions considered normal, typically without any rarity or substantial value. However, weak/partial, missing and double edge lettering are highly desirable.
Here are illustrations:
Here are main years you want to search for along with values for gem MS65:
2009-P Native American – Pos. B Partial, $200
2009-P Native American – Pos. B Weak, $75
2009 Native American Missing Edge Lettering, $35
2010-P Native American Missing Edge Lettering, $75
2011-P Dbld Edge Let., Overlap, Pos. A, $85
2012-P Native American, Pos. A Weak Lettering, $90
2012-P Native American, Pos. B Weak Lettering, $40
2013-P Native American, Pos. B Dbld Edge Overlap, $350
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There are four varieties and one popular error in the Walking Liberty Half Dollar series with different mintmark placements for the 1917 Denver and San Francisco coins and one 1946 doubled die reverse.
We’ll begin with the mintmark placements. The 1917 Philadelphia half, of course, had no mintmark. But initially, the halves from the Denver and San Francisco mints had the same placements as 1916 D and S. Production began in January. In February, Mint Director F. J. H. von Engelken thought the mintmark under the motto looked like a die defect; so he ordered the mintmark moved to the reverse, thus creating four varieties.
Here is a visual of the four half dollars:
Because production was halted, we know the mintage of each variety: 1917-D Obverse, 765,400; 1917-D Reverse, 1,940,000; 1917-S Obverse, 952,000; and 1917-S Reverse, 5,554,000. Any of the four in uncirculated condition retails in the thousands. Typically, if you’re a bank roll hunter, you will find worn examples. Values for VF30 are 1917-D Obverse, $250; 1917-D Reverse, $285; 1917-S Obverse, $650; and 1917-S Reverse, $150.
The reverse mintmark remained on Walking Liberty Halves coins through 1947, the last year in the series.
A year earlier, the Mint at Philadelphia, a die contained doubled letters on the reverse. PCGS estimates some 3,000 were released into circulation. Here is an illustration:
The doubling here is easy to spot on the “L,” “U” and “R.” An example in Good 4 is worth $50, rising to $110 in VF30 and in the hundreds and thousands in almost uncirculated and mint state.
The popularity of these varieties and doubled die is based on their often turning up in worn condition in bank rolls. Happy Hunting!
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The 1880-CC Morgan Dollars have several varieties that occurred to save the Mint money. Dies for these coins were made at the Philadelphia mint. The Carson City Mint, like other mints at the time, frequently reused dies by repolishing and re-engraving them. This process led to overdates and different reverses.
This is a basic article without naming other VAM varieties (cataloging different die markers). Visit here if you want to learn about VAMs.
1878 and 79 Reverses
Let’s start with the two reverses, compliments PCGS CoinFacts, so that we can understand the role they play in the varieties.
Now let’s proceed to the varieties and overdates.
1880-CC Regular Strike
The 1880-CC, regular strike, has the rounded breast of 1879:
1880-CC Rev. 78 (Regular Strike)
The first variety, then, is the 1880-CC Rev. 78:
Now that we know how to distinguish which reverse, we move on them to the various overdates.
1880-CC “8 over Low 7” and “8 over High 7”
Below find markers for the 1880-CC 8 over Low 7 (Regular Strike [aka Reverse of 79]) and 8 over High 7 (Regular Strike).
If the coin is worn, you might not be able to identify what you have without a microscope, and even then you might not be able to see the low/high 7. Fortunately, many 1880-CC varieties are uncirculated from bags released by the Mint as well as GSA dollars (more on those later).
Here is a blow-up so you can tell:
Two distinctions. The 8 over Low 7 has a remnant of the 7 in the middle of the top loop of the 8 and what looks like a die chip with some space between it and the bottom of the 8; the 8 over High 7 has the remnant close to the top of the 8 and the remnant close and almost touching the bottom of the 8.
1880-CC 8/7 Rev. 78
As you now might have guessed, another variety is the 1880-CC 8 over 7 with the 78 reverse. Look for the remnant of the 7 in the top loop of the 8:
Here’s the obverse and reverse of the above coin to give you an idea of how faint the remnant is and why you might not see it in a worn version. (There are other die markers to identify which variety you have but are omitted from this article, focusing on the basics.)
1880/79-CC $1 Reverse of 1878 (Regular Strike)
Yet another variety. How did this one happen?
Dies originally intended for 1879 dated coins were repurposed for 1880 production by overpunching the date with “1880,” resulting in the visible “80/79” overdate. This practice of repurposing dies helped conserve resources at the time. The reverse die used was the “Reverse of 1878,” characterized by a flat eagle breast and parallel top arrow feather.
Values
Values for each of the varieties differ so you might want to focus on the rarer ones, especially if you have acquired GSA Dollars, which do not distinguish between the various varieties in their holders:
Here is a table with each variety’s retail worth at MS63 from CoinFacts:
VARIETY VALUE AT MS63
1880-CC Regular Strike
$875
1880-CC Rev. of 78
$1450
1880-CC 8 over High 7
$950
1880-CC 8 over Low 7
$900
1880-CC 8 over 7 Rev. 78
$1350
1880/79-CC Rev. of 78
$1450
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