1881-P VAM-21A

Description

Lance Newman reported this Philadelphia Mint Morgan dollar sub-variety on November 19, 2013, earning discovery credit alongside LVA (Leroy Van Allen) and OCC attributions. Classified as VAM-21A under III2 26 with a C3a reverse (die marriage 180), the variety is described as "Doubled Ear & Left 8, Pitted Eagle & Above Arrow Shafts." The reverse is the critical diagnostic surface: raised dots of die rust pitting populate the eagle's left wing, the leg area, the upper tail feathers, and the field above the arrow shafts. This pitting results from oxidation of the die surface between production runs, where moisture penetrated the die steel and created tiny cavities that transferred as raised bumps onto struck coins. The obverse doubling on the ear and the left digit 8 of the date provides secondary verification, though the pitted reverse is far more immediately recognizable at low magnification. The 1881 Philadelphia issue had a mintage of 9.163 million Morgan dollars. High-resolution photographs of this sub-variety are available through the VAM research community, documenting the pitting patterns in detail and allowing side-by-side comparison for attribution purposes.

External References