1896-P VAM-31

Description

Identified by Brent Fogelberg in 2012, the 1896-P VAM-31 documents a date position variety on this Philadelphia Morgan Dollar where the date is set further left than normal and noticeably low. Classified as III2 29 with obverse die sharing lineage from the twenty-ninth obverse grouping and reverse die C3a, the variety's defining feature is the distinctive date placement that departs from the standard positioning seen on most 1896 Philadelphia dies. Date position varieties arise from the die preparation process: during this period, the four individual date digits were punched into each working die by hand using a four-digit logotype, and variations in where the punch was set relative to Liberty's portrait created measurable differences between die pairs. The "near low" positioning combines two displacement characteristics — leftward shift and downward drop — that together create a date placement distinctly different from the majority of 1896-P dies. Morgan Dollar date position varieties have gained collecting momentum as VAM specialists cataloged the full range of positional variation across the series. Struck at Philadelphia in 90% silver at 38.1mm and 26.73 grams, featuring Morgan's Liberty Head with Phrygian cap on the obverse. Look for the date shifted left and set low compared to typical 1896-P die alignments.

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