THE COMPREHENSIVE CATALOGUE AND ENCYCLOPEDIA OF U.S. MORGAN AND PEACE SILVER DOLLARS
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The One Hundred Greatest Items Of United States Numismatic Literature Rank: Number 61
Clain-Stefanelli 12352, Davis 1090
The release of silver dollars in the early 1960s, millions upon millions of romantic cartwheels, fueled the collecting public into a frenzy of Morgan monomania which remains today unabated. In retrospect it seems inevitable that minute differences in grade and die variety became matters of great import to the coin collector, a breed obsessed with even the slightest distinction. It is to the latter attribute that this book, early versions of which were distributed as early as 1964, is dedicated. Hundreds of Morgan and Peace dollar die varieties are herein catalogued and well illustrated, and today collecting by “VAM” (short for Van Allen / Mallis) variety is as popular as ever, with Morgans remaining a sizable portion of the American numismatic trade. For those whose tastes are not so overtly commercial, the book contributes a generous helping of archival research to the subject and is a worthy entrant on our list for that reason alone.
1st Edition
Photo courtesy of Thomas Wetter Numismatic Library.
VAN ALLEN, Leroy & MALLIS, George. THE COMPREHENSIVE CATALOGUE AND ENCYCLOPEDIA OF U.S. MORGAN AND PEACE SILVER DOLLARS.
New York, NY: 1981
316pp
Quarto
Hardbound: Black cloth, lettered in silver, dust jacket
Photo courtesy of Alaska Coin Exchange.