1889-P VAM-1G

Description

Discovered by LD Lane (known in the collecting community as ChiefRet) in 2019, VAM-1G for the 1889 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 1 - C3a with the descriptive title "Die Scratch Cap Top" — a die marker variety defined by a long horizontal die scratch at the top of the upper cotton leaves on the obverse. The obverse die III2 1 additionally shows the date positioned at the right edge of the normal lateral position range, providing a secondary attribution point. The reverse is designated C3a, representing a standard die within the C3 family, with page reference 190 in the comprehensive Van Allen-Mallis catalog. George T. Morgan's obverse design features Lady Liberty wearing an elaborate cap adorned with cotton blossoms and wheat ears — agricultural symbols representing the economic foundations of the post-Civil War nation — and die scratches across the delicate cotton leaf detail at the cap's top create a diagnostic marker that distinguishes this die from the normal VAM-1 baseline. The 1889-P Morgan Dollar was struck at Philadelphia with a mintage of approximately 21.7 million, a robust output that generated numerous working dies and corresponding variety research opportunities. Die scratches arise from accidental contact between a hard object and the die surface during handling or maintenance, and a "long horizontal" scratch suggests contact with a straight edge or tool during die preparation or inspection. The "1G" suffix places this variety within the VAM-1 family of varieties sharing the same fundamental die combination but distinguished by progressive die markers or minor characteristics, with the lettering sequence (1A, 1B, 1C... 1G) reflecting the order of documentation rather than die chronology.

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