1879-P VAM-10

Description

Discovered by Bill Harrison in June 1974 during the early years of systematic VAM cataloging, the 1879-P VAM-10 is designated "Doubled 1" and carries rarity ratings of I-2 R-3 — indicating moderate interest level with moderate scarcity (R-3 on the VAM rarity scale typically suggests hundreds of known specimens). The SSDC (Silver Dollar Check List) status is listed as unlisted, meaning this variety was not included in the older SSDC reference that predated the comprehensive VAM catalog. The defining diagnostic is a doubled 1 in the date: the numeral 1 shows doubling at the top left of the upper serif and on the top left and right of the bottom crossbar. This doubling resulted from a misaligned hub impression during die preparation, where the hub was slightly displaced between impressions, leaving a secondary image on the working die that manifested most prominently on the tall, narrow numeral 1. The obverse is classified as type III2 with die number 10, and the variety is specifically an open 9 obverse — meaning the loop at the top of the 9 does not fully connect. The reverse is C3a, identified as a normal die with no distinctive characteristics. The 1879 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar had a substantial mintage of approximately 14.8 million pieces, providing a large population from which this variety could be identified. Bill Harrison's 1974 discovery placed this variety among the foundational early VAM catalog entries, documented during the period when Van Allen and Mallis were actively building the comprehensive Morgan Dollar die marriage reference that would transform silver dollar collecting.

External References