1883-P VAM-1.8

Description

Representing a normal die pairing within the 1883-P Morgan Dollar die marriage catalog, VAM-1.8 is classified with an Obverse III2 type die and a Reverse C3a type die — both standard die varieties without significant doubling, repunching, or other hub anomalies. The "1.8" designation indicates die pair number 8 within the VAM-1 family, reflecting systematic cataloging of every identifiable die marriage used to produce 1883-P Morgan Dollars. While lacking dramatic error characteristics, normal die pairings serve an essential function in the VAM system: they document the complete die usage for a given date and mint, enabling attribution of any specimen to its specific die pair based on subtle die markers unique to each working die. The Obverse III2 classification identifies the obverse die's stage in the Morgan Dollar hub evolution, while C3a categorizes the reverse die within the established reverse die type system. George T. Morgan's design was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams on 38.1mm planchets. Collectors pursuing complete die marriage sets for a given date use normal die pairings like VAM-1.8 as the foundation of their census, documenting how many die pairs the Mint employed for that year's production.

External References