1881-P VAM-12
Error
Description
=1881-P VAM-12 Doubled 1-1= Discovered by Martin Field, August 1979. Revised 2017 by: Jody Faust 12 (revised) III2 12 - C3a (Doubled 1-1, Thread-like Die Impression Lip, Doubled Cap Top) (179) Obverse III2 12 - Both 1's in date are doubled below upper crossbar. Short die chip at top left inside of upper loop of left 8. Die chips and diagonal line in lower loop of right inside of right 8. Long thin thread-like die impression from lower loop down to chin. Slightly doubled Phrygian cap top. Reverse C3a - ''Die marker'' - Horizontal die polishing line on inner feather of eagle's right wing near shoulder. ;Emission Sequence :Obverse: :Reverse: Comments: # The specimen shown in the VAM book also shows some extra metal in the lower loop of the 2nd 8. The date is peculiar. The first 8 has a short spike inside left of the upper loop. This was considered possibly a hub defect and that is possible. However, the first 1 is very odd. The base is squared off on the right but very obviously triangular on the left. This only occurs on 1881-dated obverses, and then only a minority of them. Further, it was thought that the 18 was prepunched into the hubs (actually master dies to be precise) and the final two digits added to the dies. If so and if the 1 was overpunched with this odd one, why is the final 1 a different punch completely? If the spike was in the punch too, why is the second 8 different and why is that spike always in the first 8 and, again, only in 1881? To further complicate things, the odd 1 and odd 8 are not always paired on the dies, though the 8 seems to be positioned the same on all of them.