1896-P VAM-35

Description

Attributed by jrfaust in 2019, VAM-35 for the 1896 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar is classified III2 33 C3a, designated "Near Date, Thread Like Impression Hair," with reference number 190. This 90% silver dollar features an intriguing obverse anomaly: a thread-like die impression curved in the hair below Liberty's ear, plus very slight doubling of the ear at the left inside and earlobe. The date is set further left than normal, at the right edge of near date position — a lateral placement that VAM specialists use alongside die markers to identify specific die pairs. The reverse, classified C3a, completes the die marriage identification. A significant cataloging note: this obverse die was also used on 1896-P VAM-24, establishing a die link between the two varieties and confirming the same obverse was paired with at least two different reverse dies during the production run. Thread-like impressions in the hair detail are delicate features easily overlooked without magnification. Philadelphia produced approximately 9.98 million Morgan Dollars in 1896, and the continued discovery of new VAM varieties more than a century later speaks to the depth of research on this popular series.

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