1879-P VAM-1G

Description

Discovered in June 2022 by Mark Witkower, the 1879-P VAM-1G is a Morgan dollar variety struck at the Philadelphia Mint featuring Lines in RT and Multiple Lines in the Eagle. Classified as III2 1 - C3a (Lines in RT, Multiple lines in Eagle) (179), this recently discovered variety documents extensive die polishing evidence on the reverse. The Morgan dollar, designed by George T. Morgan, is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. Philadelphia struck 14,806,000 Morgan dollars in 1879, the second year of the series, when the Mint was refining production techniques for the new design. The obverse die, classified as III2 1, shares the same obverse as VAM-1F but in a later stage that includes an obverse clash, indicating the obverse and reverse dies came into contact without a planchet between them at some point during this die's production life. The reverse die, designated C3a, shows numerous die lines scattered over the eagle. A strong line crosses the top of the right leg, multiple short lines appear in the upper tail feathers, and a pair of squiggly lines sits just inside the middle of the left leg. These extensive reverse die lines represent die polishing marks left during maintenance of the reverse die, likely performed to remove clash marks or smooth surface imperfections during the production run. The variety's June 2022 discovery date makes it one of the more recent additions to the 1879-P Morgan dollar VAM census, demonstrating that new varieties continue to be identified even 145 years after the coins were struck. Mark Witkower's find highlights how modern imaging tools and dedicated examination continue to expand the known variety catalog for early Morgan dollar dates.

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