1879-P VAM-4

Description

Discovered by Leonard Hinckley in February 1974, the 1879-P VAM-4 Morgan Dollar is cataloged as III2 4 - C3a and features prominent doubled digits 187 in the date with a normal reverse die. The doubling manifests differently across the three affected digits: the numeral 1 is doubled strongly at the bottom right and on the right side of the lower crossbar; the 8 shows slight doubling at the top right of both upper and lower loops; and the 7 is doubled on its right side and at the top right. The open 9 — where the tail of the 9 does not curl back to close the loop — serves as an additional die characteristic. The reverse die is designated C3a, indicating a normal, unmodified reverse pairing. In 1879, dates were part of the master die, meaning the doubling occurred during the hubbing process rather than through individual date punch placement, so there is no date position index sequence variation. George T. Morgan's silver dollar obverse features Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap adorned with wheat stalks and a cotton boll, encircled by thirteen stars. The 1879-P was struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a substantial mintage of 14,806,000 pieces in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter. The progressive weakening of doubling from the strongly doubled 1 through the slightly doubled 8 and moderately doubled 7 documents the displacement vector's orientation relative to each digit's position. Examination under 7x to 10x magnification should focus first on the bottom right of the numeral 1 where the doubling is most pronounced.

External References