1881-P VAM-29

Description

John Baumgart's March 2015 discovery, VAM-29 catalogs a Doubled 1-1 on the 1881 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar, classified III2 29 - C3a (179). Both instances of the digit 1 in the date show doubling: the left 1 is doubled below its top crossbar, while the right 1 shows doubling at the lower left of its vertical shaft. A distinctive die marker reinforces attribution — fine, parallel die polishing lines appear below the cap bottom on the obverse, evidence of intentional die surface preparation where polishing tools left uniform striations visible on struck coins. Philadelphia produced 9,163,975 Morgan Dollars in 1881, the fourth year of the series. The doubled 1-1 diagnostic is significant because date doubling on Morgan Dollars is one of the most actively collected sub-specialties within the VAM system, and doubling on both digits of the same numeral within a four-digit date provides bilateral confirmation that hub displacement affected the date area uniformly. The C3a reverse designation indicates no distinguishing reverse characteristics beyond the standard classification, meaning the obverse doubling and die polishing lines are the primary identification features. The classification number 179 positions this within the comprehensive Morgan Dollar VAM numbering framework, and Baumgart's attribution fills a gap in the 1881-P variety catalog.

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