1901-P VAM-1

Description

Discovered by Neil Shafer in November 1964, the 1901-P VAM-1 "Normal Die" Morgan dollar establishes the baseline die marriage for the 1901 Philadelphia issue — a standard reference point against which all other 1901-P VAM varieties are measured. Cataloged as 1 III2 1 · C3a (Normal Die) with die number 189, this variety pairs an Obverse III2 1 — a normal die of the III2 hub type with a closed 9 in the date — with a Reverse C3a, a normal die of the C3 type. George T. Morgan's silver dollar saw substantial production at Philadelphia in 1901, with an approximate mintage of 6.96 million coins. Neil Shafer's November 1964 identification places this among the earliest VAM attributions, established at the dawn of systematic Morgan dollar die variety study. Normal die VAMs serve an essential cataloging function by documenting the standard die characteristics — hub type, numeral style, mintmark position — that define the baseline from which all varieties diverge. The closed 9 notation for the obverse specifies the style of numeral punch used, where the upper loop of the 9 fully connects to form a closed circle rather than leaving a gap, and this punch style serves as an additional attribution checkpoint. The VAM-1 designation as the first cataloged die marriage for any date conventionally represents the most common or standard die pairing, providing the "normal" reference that variety hunters compare against when searching for doubled dates, repunched mintmarks, or die defects. Emission sequence data for both obverse and reverse dies awaits further documentation. Collectors and researchers use VAM-1 as the comparison baseline — any 1901-P Morgan dollar that matches the normal die characteristics of III2 1 obverse with C3a reverse and lacks additional diagnostic features would be attributed to this die marriage.

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