1879-P VAM-1C

Description

First recorded in the VAMWorld database in 2010, the 1879-P VAM-1C Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 1 – C3a (Thread-Like Impression Forehead) with die pairing number 179. The obverse features two distinctive die anomalies: a curvy thread-like impression at the back of Liberty's eye and a U-shaped die impression on the forehead in front of the hair curl — unusual markings likely originating from foreign material or tooling contact during die preparation that left these incuse features in the die face, producing raised impressions on struck coins. A community observation from collector RonH notes additional features: a thread-like impression on the neck-chin area and a sharp vertical gouge coming from the hair between the ear and the ringlet — supplementary die markers that provide multiple attribution checkpoints across the portrait's facial features. The reverse (C3a) is a normal die without significant anomalies. Thread-like impressions on Morgan Dollar dies are relatively uncommon compared to the more standard doubled dates and repunched mintmarks that dominate VAM cataloging, making VAM-1C a variety of particular interest to collectors who specialize in unusual die anomaly types. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1879, the second year of Morgan Dollar production under the Bland-Allison Act of 1878. Composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, each coin weighs 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 mm and a reeded edge. The 1879-P had a substantial mintage of approximately 14.8 million pieces, and the variety's primary diagnostic — the curvy thread-like impression at the back of the eye — sits in a location that can be examined under moderate magnification without requiring the coin to be rotated or tilted.

External References