1894-P VAM-2
Error
Description
Proof Only. Discovered by Leroy Van Allen — co-creator of the VAM cataloging system — in April 1986, VAM-2 documents a Far Date on the 1894-P Morgan Dollar that exists exclusively on proof specimens. Plate designation: 2 III2 2 · None (Far Date, Proof Only). DPIS B34/C5. The date is set further right than normal, producing a wider gap between the leftmost digit and the rim. The "Proof Only" classification means this die pair was reserved for proof coins and never entered business-strike production, limiting the population to the small number of proofs manufactured in 1894. Reverse die C3c. Importantly, this same reverse die was also used to strike VAM-4, establishing a die linkage that helps reconstruct die usage at Philadelphia. The variety was revised to rename the reverse die. Van Allen's personal discovery carries special significance given his foundational role in creating the attribution system that bears his name. Philadelphia Mint proof production.
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