1921-P VAM-1AU

Description

A sub-variety of the VAM-1 die marriage, the 1921-P Morgan Dollar VAM-1AU was discovered approximately in the 2010s and carries a III2 classification with a C3a reverse die designation. Its interest rating remains uncertain, pending further study. The 1921 Philadelphia issue occupies a singular position in the Morgan Dollar series: it was the final year of production, struck after a 17-year hiatus following the 1904 cessation, resumed under the Pittman Act of 1918 which authorized the melting and recoining of silver dollars. A key piece of context for all 1921 Morgan Dollars is that dates were incorporated directly into the master die rather than punched individually into each working die — a departure from earlier years when hand-punched dates created the positional variations that the VAM system meticulously catalogs. This master-die dating eliminates date position as a diagnostic variable for 1921 issues, meaning attribution relies on other die characteristics such as clashing, polishing, gouges, and surface condition. George T. Morgan's Liberty Head obverse and heraldic eagle reverse define the design, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams. The 1921 Philadelphia mintage of 44,690,000 was massive, reflecting the Pittman Act's mandate to recoin melted silver reserves.

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