1889-P VAM-5F

Description

Discovered in 2015 by pacificwr, the 1889-P VAM-5F Morgan Dollar is cataloged as 5F III2 1 - C3a (Far Date, Die Chip First Left Star). This variety is defined primarily by die deterioration features rather than hub doubling: fine die cracks at the first through third left stars with a long die chip on the crack extending from the first left star over to the denticles on the right. The die chip on the first star creates a visually distinctive raised feature where the die crack intersected with and broke away a portion of the die surface near the star's location, producing a characteristic raised area connecting the star to the surrounding denticles. The obverse die also shows evidence of a strong die clash at the neckline with no letter transfer — indicating the dies struck each other without a planchet, but the clash imprint at the neck did not include readable letter impressions from the reverse. No lip clash or hair vee clash is present, further characterizing the specific nature of the clash event. VAM research has established that VAM-5F is the same die pair as VAM-12A per a letter from Leroy Van Allen dated 2018, indicating cataloging overlap between the two designations. The "Far Date" component means the date numerals are positioned further from the rim than the standard alignment. The Morgan Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver composition, weighing 26.73 grams at 38.1 mm diameter. The 1889-P had a mintage of approximately 21.73 million pieces. The die chip extending from the first left star to the denticles serves as the fastest diagnostic feature, visible even under low magnification as a raised connection between the star and the rim area.

External References