1882-P VAM-1C

Description

Caused by die flaking, chipping, and insufficient polishing, the defining feature of this 1882 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar is metal in both 8s and the 2 in the date. Classified as VAM-1C III2 1 ∙ C3a (Metal in Date), die pair (180), this variety was discovered by Richard Deters in February 1972. Some specimens only show metal in the 2, indicating the die condition evolved during its production run. The obverse carries the III2 1 designation and the reverse is a normal die (C3a). This variety shares the same obverse die as VAM-21, establishing a die marriage connection between the two catalog entries. "Metal in Date" varieties result from die surface degradation where fragments of die steel flake away, leaving voids that fill with metal during striking and produce raised irregular features. Deters’s discovery places this among the earlier documented VAM varieties, identified during the formative years of the Van Allen-Mallis cataloging system. The progressive die damage — from metal in just the 2 to metal in all three affected digits — allows die state sequencing across surviving specimens.

External References