1896-P VAM-6A

Description

Discovered by Jeff Oxman in June 2005 and revised in 2019 by Ron Gapa, the 1896-P VAM-6A Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 6 – C3a (Doubled 6, Near Date, Clashed Obverse n, Die Breaks, NIT, ATES, LA) with die pairing number 189 — a comprehensive designation documenting multiple types of die anomalies on both faces. The 6 in the date is doubled at the top as a curved line, and the date is positioned further left than normal, earning the "Near Date" designation. The obverse features a clashed die with a faint partial incuse n from the reverse IN transferred next to Liberty’s head and neck during a die clash event where the dies struck each other without a planchet. The reverse exhibits die breaks through NIT and ATES in the inscriptions and through LA — progressive structural failures across multiple points of the reverse die face. The LVA (Leroy Van Allen) Revision Letter confirms this variety’s documentation in the official VAM reference system. George T. Morgan designed this coin, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1896 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1896-P had a mintage of approximately 9.98 million pieces. The convergence of a doubled date digit, abnormal date positioning, obverse clash marks, and multiple reverse die breaks on a single die marriage creates one of the more complex VAM designations, where each component represents a distinct die event — the doubling from hubbing, the near date from initial die preparation, the clash from a production accident, and the breaks from progressive mechanical failure during extended use.

External References