1889-P VAM-5B-old

Description

Originally cataloged as an 1889-P Morgan Dollar variety with a far date and a filled lowercase r in TRUST — rendering the word as "TUST" due to die fill nearly completely obscuring the letter — the VAM-5B has been eliminated from the active VAM listing after the filled r was determined to be a striking error rather than a die variety. The distinction is significant in VAM classification: die varieties result from features in the die itself (hub doubling, die cracks, mint mark positions), while striking errors occur during the individual coin's production (grease-filled dies, off-center strikes, wrong planchets) and are therefore not reproducible across all coins from the same die. The far date characteristic — where the date digits are positioned further right than normal on the Type III2 die 5 obverse — remains a valid die feature, but the filled r that gave this variety its distinctive "TUST" appearance was caused by accumulated grease or debris in the die cavity during striking, not by a permanent modification to the die steel. The C3a reverse classification reflects a standard reverse die. While eliminated VAM numbers remain in reference databases for historical documentation, collectors should note that the far date obverse die continues to be recognized under its primary VAM-5 designation. The 1889 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar saw moderate production in the penultimate decade of original Morgan Dollar coinage.

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