1889-P VAM-1F

Description

Brent Fogelberg discovered the 1889 Philadelphia Morgan dollar VAM-1F in 2015, classifying it as III2 1 with a C3a reverse under the designation Denticle Impressions Below Wreath Bow. The reverse is the defining feature: two raised dots below the wreath bow with denticle spacing of 0.03 inches, plus a third smaller dot positioned 0.03 inches to the left at the ribbon edge. These raised dots match the spacing of the border denticles, suggesting they resulted from an impression event that transferred denticle-shaped marks onto the die face. A short vertical die scratch at the left side of the space to the left of the eagle's right leg serves as a reverse die marker. On the obverse, several short vertical polishing lines at the top left of the ear at the hair edge help identify the specific obverse die. The 1889 Philadelphia Morgan is common in most grades, but the unusual denticle impressions represent a manufacturing anomaly that has drawn research attention. The precise 0.03-inch spacing measurement between the dots demonstrates the meticulous documentation standard applied to modern VAM cataloging.

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