1890-P VAM-9

Description

Identified by Pete Bishal in December 1974, the 1890-P VAM-9 bears the designation "Doubled 89" — a doubled date variety where the digits 8 and 9 both exhibit doubling at the bottom inside of their lower loops. This symmetric doubling across two adjacent date digits indicates a hub misalignment that displaced the entire date area slightly between impressions, affecting the curved elements of the numerals most prominently where the geometry amplifies small displacements into visible separation. The obverse is type III2 die 9 with a closed 9 variety (the loop connects), and the reverse is C3a with a notable die chip inside the G in GOD at the top of the letter. This reverse die chip serves as a secondary attribution marker, helping confirm the die marriage even when date doubling is difficult to discern on worn specimens. The 1890 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar was produced in a mintage of approximately 16.8 million pieces, a healthy output that ensured widespread survival and ample opportunity for variety discovery. Pete Bishal's December 1974 discovery came during the golden age of VAM cataloging, when dedicated researchers were systematically examining Morgan Dollars date by date and building the reference database that would define the field. The DPIS (Die Photo Identification System) reference is listed but unpopulated in the current catalog entry, and the emission sequence for both obverse and reverse remains undocumented, indicating that detailed die state progression studies have not yet been completed for this marriage. Doubled date varieties on Morgan Dollars consistently attract strong collector interest because the date area is one of the first features examined on any coin.

External References