1880/79-O $1 80/79 Crossbar, VAM-4, MS65 Prooflike PCGS. CAC....

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1880/79-O Morgan, MS65 Prooflike
Stark Cameo Contrast
The Sole Finest Prooflike Coin at PCGS

1880/79-O $1 80/79 Crossbar, VAM-4, MS65 Prooflike PCGS. CAC. Micro O. A Top 100 Variety. The 1880-O Morgan dollar is a condition key in the series and an important New Orleans issue overall. Mint State examples are plentiful in non-Prooflike MS61 to MS64 grades, these pieces largely coming from the Treasury releases of the early 1960s, as well as earlier disbursements in the late 1950s and 1940s. These coins entered numismatic channels in a quiet nature, and, in A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, fifth edition, Q. David Bowers notes that the 1880-O "was never plentiful in bag quantities on the numismatic market." Bowers lists the so-called optimal collecting grade for the 1880-O as MS64. Gems are scarce overall, and anything numerically finer is effectively unobtainable for the vast majority of collectors.

The other aspect of the 1880-O dollar's rarity is its lack of representation in the Prooflike and Deep Mirror Prooflike categories. Such coins are scarce in the context of the series, and almost all grade MS64 or lower. In fact, only one Deep Mirror Prooflike piece is known in Gem condition, and only five coins are reported this fine in the Prooflike category. Three of the Prooflike Gems and the sole DMPL Gem are certified by PCGS, and all but the coin offered here are attributed by that service as VAM-4 representatives (7/23). However, the example offered here is also a VAM-4 coin, placing it in the Condition Census of that variety in the Deep Mirror Prooflike category.

We have handled two unattributed MS65 Prooflike examples of this issue in the distant past, one slabbed by PCGS and one by NGC. Neither of those certification numbers remain on either service's population reports, suggesting the coins have been crossed or regraded since appearing at auction. We have seen two other examples of VAM-4 in this grade in the past as well.

Brilliant, starkly contrasted surfaces produce ample cameo contrast on this piece, and the mirrored fields are devoid of significant marks. Liberty's cheek is near-flawless. Eye appeal is outstanding. Population: 1 in 65 Prooflike, 0 finer. CAC: 2 in 65, 0 finer (6/23).

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 2543, Variety PCGS# 41287, Base PCGS# 7117, Greysheet# 226393)

Weight: 26.73 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS