1880-P VAM-21A

Description

Revised in 2018 from its original 2012 discovery, the 1880-P VAM-21A carries the full designation "Double Date, Stars & Motto, Clashed Obverse n" and is classified III2 21 with a C3a reverse and die pair 180. The defining feature is a clashed die impression: a partial incuse letter n from the word "In" on the reverse transferred onto the obverse next to Liberty's neck during a die clash event, where the dies struck each other without a planchet between them. This ghostly transferred n is the sole distinguishing feature separating VAM-21A from its parent variety—collectors who find this die pair without the clashed n on the obverse have the 1880-P VAM-21 instead. The relationship between the two VAM numbers effectively documents a die-state progression within a single die marriage, with the clash event marking the transition point. The double date, stars, and motto doubling is common to both die states, making the incuse n the critical pickup point for correct attribution between the two designations.

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