1884-P VAM-12

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in June 1981, the 1884-P VAM-12 carries classification 12 III2-1 - C3c (Doubled Motto) at rarity 187. This 90% silver Morgan Dollar from the Philadelphia Mint is one of the longer-known varieties for the date, having been cataloged for over four decades. The reverse, designated C3c, shows doubled tops of the IN GOD WE TRUST letters — the motto that appears on a ribbon above the eagle — along with doubling at the top right of the right wreath on the lower serifs of TATES OF AM. The date sits at the right side of its normal lateral position, a subtle positional shift that aids attribution. Importantly, the die crack pattern on this variety can easily fool a casual attributor into calling it the far more valuable 1884-P VAM-9 incorrectly. Careful comparison of the crack trajectory and the doubled motto specifics is essential for correct identification. George T. Morgan's dollar design was in its sixth year of production, and Philadelphia struck millions of these coins that would sit in Treasury vaults for decades before eventual release through the General Services Administration dispersals.

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