1891-P VAM-15

Description

Nick Capuano discovered this Morgan Dollar die pair in 2014, and it was cataloged by VAMWorld as 15 III2 13 - C3a (Doubled Ear) with the obverse showing slight doubling at the right inside of Liberty's ear. Ear doubling on Morgan Dollars results from hub misalignment during die manufacture — when the hub is impressed into the die at a marginally different position on successive strikes, the detailed contours of the ear, being relatively high relief and sharply defined, capture the displacement as a visible secondary outline. The die marker of a single diagonal polishing line in the left side of the Y in LIBERTY serves as a secondary diagnostic for attribution. Polishing lines are left during the die finishing process when the die surface is polished to remove imperfections or adjust relief, and individual polishing marks are unique to specific dies. The reverse carries the C3a designation, a normal die without attributable features. The 1891 Philadelphia Mint produced approximately 8.69 million Morgan Dollars during the final full decade of the design's original run, which would end in 1904 before the unexpected 1921 revival. The Gilded Age context of 1891 placed this coin amid the great silver debates that would culminate in the Sherman Silver Purchase Act and its dramatic repeal two years later.

External References