1890-P VAM-11

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in August 1980, the 1890-P VAM-11 is classified as III2 11 - C3a and designated simply as "Near Date" — indicating the date digits are positioned further left than the normal lateral placement, bringing them nearer to the rim denticles. Commentary notes present a nuanced attribution picture: at least one collector reports holding both a VAM-11 and a VAM-11A with attributions on their holders that represent different die pairs, suggesting a review is pending, and an additional note suggests this is actually a normal date that is merely getting close to qualifying as a near date — reflecting the inherent subjectivity in positional variety classification where the boundary between "normal" and "near" requires judgment. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter. The 1890-P had a mintage of approximately 16.8 million business strikes, making it a moderately available date in the Morgan Dollar series. Date position varieties are among the most fundamental categories in VAM collecting because each working die received its date digits individually through hand-punching, creating natural variation in lateral position, vertical height, spacing between digits, and tilt angle. The near date classification specifically refers to leftward lateral displacement that places the date closer to the rim than the standard position. As a Philadelphia issue, this coin carries no mintmark, with the absence itself serving as the mint identifier on Morgan Dollars where P-mint coins bear no mark.

External References