1879-P VAM-1E

Description

Discovered in 2013, VAM-1E is cataloged on plate position 1E III2 1 - C3a (179) for the 1879 Morgan Dollar struck at the Philadelphia Mint. The descriptive designation is Die Gouges Upper Tail Feathers, identifying the reverse characteristic that distinguishes it from other VAM-1 sub-varieties. On the obverse, die state III2 1 shows over-polished hair at the rear below the Phrygian cap ribbon, along with very slight doubling at the bottom of the 1 and right side of the lower serif of the 7, plus some doubling on left-side stars. The discoverer is unrecorded in the VAM registry. Philadelphia served as the primary Morgan Dollar facility from the series inception in 1878, and 1879 was only the second year of production under the Bland-Allison Act. VAM sub-varieties with letter suffixes like 1E represent refinements to a parent number, typically identified when researchers discover additional die characteristics warranting separate documentation. The combination of obverse polishing evidence and reverse die gouges provides multiple diagnostic points for attribution.

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