1903-P VAM-4

Description

Documented by Guy Messing in 1976, this 1903 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar exhibits a "Near Date" — the date set further left than normal, shifted closer to the rim than standard die alignment would produce. VAM plate notation 4 III2 4 - C4a classifies obverse die III2 4 with the leftward-positioned date, paired with reverse die C4a. Guy Messing was an early contributor to Morgan Dollar die variety research during the formative years of systematic VAM cataloging, when researchers were establishing the classification frameworks still in use today. A notable secondary characteristic: certain die pairs for 1903-P VAM-4 have been found with collar clash evidence — marks left when the die contacts the collar ring that normally constrains the planchet during striking. This collar clash is not present on all specimens, making affected coins a subset within the variety. The 1903-P is a common date in the Morgan Dollar series, but VAM collecting transforms common dates into research opportunities. Date position analysis — near versus far, high versus low — is a fundamental VAM diagnostic, and the leftward shift on this die provides a clear attribution point. =1903-P VAM-4 Near Date= Discovered by Guy Messing, 1976.

External References