1890-P VAM-1

Description

As the base die marriage for the 1890 Philadelphia Morgan dollar, VAM-1 represents the standard or "normal" die pairing against which all other 1890-P VAM varieties are measured. Philadelphia struck 16.8 million Morgan dollars in 1890, a substantial output that places this date in the upper tier of Morgan dollar mintages and ensures ample surviving specimens across all grade levels. George T. Morgan's classic Liberty Head obverse — featuring a left-facing crowned Liberty adapted from Philadelphia schoolteacher Anna Willess Williams, who modeled for Morgan during five sittings in 1876 — had been in production for twelve years by 1890 and represents one of the most iconic designs in American coinage. The VAM-1 designation typically indicates a die marriage with no extraordinary die characteristics: no repunched dates, no die breaks, no significant die scratches or gouges that would warrant a sub-variety suffix. However, even VAM-1 coins merit examination, as die states within a single die marriage can produce collectible differences in die crack progression, die polish remnants, and late die state characteristics. The 1890-P Morgan dollar was struck in 90% silver at a weight of 26.73 grams, maintaining the specifications mandated by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878. Collectors building a date-and-mint VAM set often begin with VAM-1 attributions before pursuing the more exotic varieties, making VAM-1 coins foundational pieces in any comprehensive Morgan dollar die variety collection.

External References