1896-P VAM-22

Description

Discovered by Ken Heacock in August 2001, the 1896 Philadelphia Morgan dollar VAM-22 is classified as 22 III222 - C3a (190). Its hallmark diagnostic is a doubled ear on Liberty's portrait: the ear shows doubling at both the left and right inside edges, with slight additional doubling at the bottom outside. This doubled ear is a distinctive identifier that stands out under moderate magnification, as the ear's curved interior lines appear with a clear secondary shadow. The date is positioned at the left side of the normal lateral range, providing a secondary attribution point. Philadelphia struck 9,976,000 Morgan dollars in 1896, making it a common date, yet specific die varieties like VAM-22 carry their own collector following regardless of overall mintage. Heacock's attribution in 2001 added to the later wave of VAM discoveries that expanded the catalog well beyond the original Van Allen and Mallis listings, reflecting the ongoing community effort to document every identifiable die marriage in the series.

External References