1882-P VAM-14

Description

Martin Field reported this Philadelphia Mint Morgan dollar variety in December 1978, earning the VAM-14 designation under classification III2 14 with a C3a reverse die (die marriage 180). The obverse displays faintly doubled digits across the 882 portion of the date, each showing doubling in distinct locations: the first 8 is doubled at the left inside of its upper loop, the second 8 is doubled at the left outside of both loops, and the 2 is doubled on the right side of its upper loop. This differentiated doubling pattern, where each digit shows displacement in a slightly different orientation and position, is characteristic of a working hub that shifted between impressions in a manner affecting the date area most prominently. The reverse is cataloged as a normal die with no notable varieties, concentrating all diagnostic attention on the obverse date. The 1882 Philadelphia Morgan dollar had a mintage of 11.101 million pieces, the fifth year of the Morgan series. Field's December 1978 discovery places this attribution in the late-1970s expansion era of VAM cataloging, when researchers were systematically examining Morgan dollar dates and building the comprehensive die marriage inventory. The faint nature of the doubling means well-preserved examples in higher grades show the displacement most clearly, though practiced attributors can detect it even on VF-grade coins under appropriate magnification.

External References