1887-P VAM-17

Description

Richard Pawley's May 1998 discovery of the 1887-P VAM-17 Morgan Dollar revealed an unusual die-setting anomaly: the tops of the 8 and 7 digits protrude into the denticle border as raised curved bars, indicating the date logotype was punched slightly too low, placing the upper portions of these digits within the rim's tooth pattern. This positional error — cataloged as "8-7 in Denticles" — creates a distinctive visual signature visible at moderate magnification. Beyond the primary attribution, unlisted doubling appears on the wing feathers of the reverse eagle, suggesting hub displacement that has not yet received its own catalog entry. Some specimens exhibit partially filled letters where die polish or grease filling reduced the depth of incuse elements during striking. Attributed by VAMWorld, this Philadelphia Mint variety from the 27,273,546-coin 1887 production run demonstrates how date punch placement varied between dies. The denticle intrusion provides a reliable sorting criterion that separates VAM-17 from normally positioned dates in the series. 1887-P VAM-17 8-7 in Denticles Discovered by Richard Pawley May 1998. # At least Two specimens has been found to have partially filled letters.

External References