1890-P VAM-1E

Description

VAM-1E of the 1890-P Morgan Dollar represents a die state sub-variety within the normal die VAM-1 family for the Philadelphia Mint's 1890 production run, as documented by the VAMWorld attribution community. The letter E suffix denotes the fifth documented die state or minor variation within the VAM-1 die marriage, tracking progressive changes such as die cracks, die polishing events, clash marks, or surface deterioration that accumulate during the die's working life. The 1890 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar was produced under the authority of the Bland-Allison Act, which required the Treasury to purchase between two and four million dollars' worth of silver bullion monthly and coin it into silver dollars — a politically driven mandate that generated enormous quantities of Morgan Dollars, many of which went directly into Treasury vaults without circulating. George T. Morgan's obverse features Lady Liberty crowned with wheat and cotton, symbolizing the agricultural foundations of American prosperity, while the reverse displays a bald eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch within a wreath of laurel. The coin was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 mm and a reeded edge. Philadelphia issues from 1890 typically exhibit good strike quality, and the detailed die state documentation captured by VAMWorld researchers allows collectors to position their specimens within the chronological production sequence of this specific die pair. The sub-variety classification reflects the depth of Morgan Dollar die variety research, where even normal die pairs receive systematic documentation of their progressive die life characteristics.

External References