1878 Morgan Dollar - Reverse of 1878 - VAM-130

Description

Leroy Van Allen himself discovered VAM-130 in December 1965, making this one of the earliest attributions in the catalog system that bears his name. Classified II1 B2a under number 194, this 1878 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar documents doubling along the top and right edge of the 7 in the date — the doubled area running from the top of the digit down through approximately the middle of its right edge. The date doubling on the 7 is a hand-punching artifact: individual date digits were punched into working dies by hand, and a mispositioned first impression followed by correction created doubled outlines visible on struck coins. Attribution guidance notes that the arrow in reference photos points to the doubling on the top right edge of the 7, but the spread extends further down the right side than photographs typically convey — collectors should trace the entire right edge carefully rather than focusing solely on the top portion. The B2a reverse classification indicates standard reverse characteristics without distinguishing marks, placing the diagnostic burden entirely on the obverse date examination.

External References