1884-CC VAM-4

Description

Designated as the Spiked Date variety under plate notation 4 III2 4 - C3a, this Carson City Morgan Dollar holds special significance as one of the earliest VAM discoveries — found by George Mallis in June 1965. George Mallis is the "M" in VAM, co-author with Leroy Van Allen of the definitive Morgan and Peace Dollar variety reference that has cataloged thousands of die varieties since the 1970s. The diagnostic feature is a vertical spike projecting from the top of the numeral 1 in the date, with some specimens also displaying a horizontal spike extending left of the lower loop of the first 8. These spikes are raised die cracks that radiate from the date digits, creating thin metallic projections visible under moderate magnification. As a Carson City issue, the 1884-CC benefits from the intense collector demand surrounding the Nevada mint's limited production run from 1870 to 1893, when Comstock Lode silver was transformed into Morgan Dollars. VAM-4 carries Importance designation 177, and its discovery by one of the reference work's co-authors places it among the foundational varieties in the VAM cataloging system. =1884-CC VAM-4 Spiked Date= Discovered by George Mallis, June 1965.

External References