1899-P VAM-6A

Description

Discovered by Larry Briggs in August 2002, the 1899-P VAM-6A is classified as "Open & Closed 9's, Pitted DO" — a designation that captures two distinct obverse characteristics on this Morgan Dollar die marriage. The open and closed 9s refer to the style of the two 9 digits in the 1899 date: one 9 has an open loop at the top (the knob does not connect to the tail) while the other 9 has a closed loop, creating an asymmetric appearance that serves as a primary diagnostic for this obverse die. The VAM classification code III26 · C3a identifies the obverse die type as III2 paired with die number 6, and the reverse as C3a. The reverse carries the defining "Pitted DO" characteristic, where raised dots appear through the letters DO in DOLLAR — the result of die rust that formed on the reverse die surface. When a die develops rust pitting, the corroded areas create small depressions in the die that transfer as raised dots on struck coins. The specific location through the DO in DOLLAR indicates the area where moisture or environmental exposure affected the die during storage or between production runs. The catalog entry carries no rarity rating or DPIS (Die Photo Identification System) number, and the emission sequence for both obverse and reverse remains undocumented, suggesting limited die state tracking for this particular variety. Morgan Dollars from the 1899 Philadelphia Mint had a relatively modest mintage of approximately 330,000 business strikes, making any documented die marriage from this date a significant entry in the VAM reference system maintained through VAMWorld research.

External References