1890-P VAM-18

Description

Discovered by John Roberts in May 2001 and revised in 2015, the 1890-P VAM-18 Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 18 · C3a (Doubled Ear, Far Date) with die pairing number 190. The obverse (III2 18) exhibits subtle doubling on Liberty's ear — the left and right inside, right outside, and bottom of the ear lobe are all slightly doubled, creating a thickened appearance in the ear's contours that requires careful examination under magnification to fully appreciate. The date is set further right than the normal position, earning the "Far Date" component of the variety's designation, which provides a quick screening criterion before investing time in examining the more subtle ear doubling. A diagonal polishing line at the top right of the ear serves as the primary die marker, positioned conveniently close to the doubled ear feature itself and aiding rapid attribution. The reverse (C3a) is classified as a normal die. Community commentary notes that it appears the 1890-P VAM-16 and VAM-18 are the exact same die pair — a significant attribution question that remains under investigation within the VAM community, as confirming shared die identity between two separately listed varieties would result in one being subsumed under the other. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1890 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1890-P had a mintage of approximately 16.8 million pieces. The combination of doubled ear detail with an abnormal date position provides two independent verification points for confident attribution, while the diagonal polishing line die marker adds a third confirmatory feature.

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