1882-P VAM-1H

Description

Discovered in 2012, the 1882-P VAM-1H Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 1 - C3a (Pitted D) with die pairing number 180. The obverse (III2 1) shows very slight doubling on the right side of the 2's ball at the top — a minimal positional feature that serves primarily as a die identification marker rather than a visually prominent variety characteristic. The documented obverse die marker is a long vertical polishing line below the lower cotton leaf, a linear feature introduced during die maintenance that provides a reliable diagnostic for confirming this specific obverse die under examination. The reverse (C3a) presents the variety's namesake feature: a few heavy raised dots from a rusted die concentrated at the top right outside of the D in the mintmark-absent Philadelphia designation area, along with pitting scattered in the field — surface texture anomalies produced when moisture exposure caused localized corrosion on the steel die face, with the resulting micro-pits on the die translating into raised dots on struck coins. The "Pitted D" designation refers to these pitting features near where the D would appear in a Denver-minted coin's design space. George T. Morgan's design was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1882 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1882-P had a mintage of approximately 11.1 million pieces. Die rusting and the resulting raised-dot texture on struck coins is a well-documented phenomenon in Morgan Dollar die varieties, as the steel dies were susceptible to moisture during storage periods between production shifts, and the severity and distribution of the resulting pitting creates unique fingerprints for each affected die.

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