1889-P VAM-11

Description

Discovered by Bill Fivaz in March 1975, the 1889-P VAM-11 showcases strongly doubled date digits that rank among the more dramatic obverse varieties for this Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar date. Cataloged as III2 11-C3a (Doubled 18), the obverse die designated III2 11 exhibits the numeral 1 doubled very strongly at the top, while the first 8 shows slight doubling at the top outside center. The date is set at a slant, with the 9 positioned higher than the 1, and features an open 9 — a stylistic detail that aids quick attribution. Doubling is also visible at the tops of both the 1 and 8. The 1889 Philadelphia issue was one of the larger Morgan Dollar mintages of the Gilded Age, with the Philadelphia Mint striking coins in enormous volume to satisfy the provisions of the Bland-Allison Act and later the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which mandated the Treasury purchase millions of dollars in silver bullion monthly. VAM varieties on 1889-P dollars are extensively documented, and the Fivaz discovery of VAM-11 in 1975 came during the early expansion of the VAM cataloging system pioneered by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis. The Class III2 obverse die classification indicates a specific die pairing within the broader 1889-P production run.

External References