1882 Morgan Dollar - VAM-29

Description

Discovered in 2012 by NESVT (Northeast Silver Variety Team), VAM-29 is a doubled ear variety of the 1882 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar, carrying the VAMWorld plate number designation 29 III2 28 – C3a. In the VAM system — the comprehensive attribution framework for Morgan and Peace dollars developed by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis — each variety is identified by its die pair, obverse characteristics, and reverse characteristics. For VAM-29, the defining obverse feature is a slight doubling at the right inside edge of Liberty's ear, visible under magnification as a thin extra line of metal along the interior of the ear canal. This doubling results from a minor misalignment between successive hub impressions during the manufacture of the working die, leaving a secondary impression offset from the primary design. The die marker assisting in positive attribution is a pair of small die chips located at the top inside portion of the ear — a raised metallic deposit on the coin produced by a corresponding cavity in the die face. The 1882 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar is a mid-series date with a relatively large mintage, placing this variety in competition with a broad base population. Variety collectors approaching the 1882-P series should examine the ear closely under a loupe, comparing against the published plate to confirm the doubling profile and die chip placement that distinguish VAM-29.

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