1888-P VAM-13

Description

Discovered by Herb Zepke in June 1981, the 1888-P VAM-13 "Far Date" Morgan dollar identifies an obverse die where the date has been positioned further to the right than the standard placement on George T. Morgan's silver dollar design. Cataloged as 13 III2 10 - C3a (Far Date) with catalog number 190, this variety employs the Obverse III2 10 die classification. Date position varieties on Morgan dollars are among the most fundamental VAM diagnostics — since mint workers hand-punched the date into each working die using a four-digit logotype and hammer, the precise horizontal and vertical placement varied from die to die. The "far date" designation indicates the entire date sits measurably further right than the typical centering, a difference that becomes apparent when compared against reference specimens or overlay images. Philadelphia struck approximately 12.16 million Morgan dollars in 1888, a moderate production year during the period of mandatory silver dollar coinage under the Bland-Allison Act of 1878 and subsequently the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890. Herb Zepke contributed numerous variety discoveries during the early 1980s as the VAM collecting community was experiencing rapid expansion and increased systematic research. The C3a reverse classification pairs a standard reverse type with this distinctive obverse, indicating that the variety interest lies entirely in the obverse die's date positioning. DPIS entries and emission sequence data remain unlisted for both obverse and reverse dies. Collectors should compare the horizontal position of the date against known normal 1888-P specimens, focusing on the distance between the rightmost digit (8) and adjacent design elements to confirm the far-right displacement.

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