1880-P VAM-18A

Description

Originally cataloged as VAM-55A in March 2009 and revised to VAM-18A by Scott Hamilton in August 2011, this 1880 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar carries the designation III2 18 - C3a for Doubled 1-80 with Clashed Obverse t. The doubling on the digits 1, 8, and 0 of the date provides the primary attribution point, while the obverse clash manifests as a faint partial incuse of the letter t from TRUST on the reverse — visible in the right hair vee of Liberty's lower hair edge. This clashed letter transfer occurs when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, impressing reverse design elements into the obverse die surface. The renumbering from VAM-55A reflects the ongoing scholarly refinement of the VAM cataloging system, where newly discovered die states are periodically reclassified as researchers refine the relationships among known die pairs. The 1880 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar was struck in 90% silver, 10% copper composition at 26.73 grams, 38.1 mm diameter, with a reeded edge. George T. Morgan's design debuted in 1878 following the passage of the Bland-Allison Act, which mandated the Treasury purchase millions of dollars worth of silver bullion monthly. The Philadelphia Mint, operating as the primary production facility, struck Morgan Dollars without a mintmark throughout the series' run.

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