1896-P VAM-17

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in January 1980, this Morgan Dollar variety from the Philadelphia Mint documents a doubled 6 in the date — slightly doubled at the top outside of the digit — combined with a near date position that sits further left than the normal placement. The full VAM classification reads III2 17 C3a (Doubled 6, Near Date) (189), with the obverse die designated as III2 17. The doubled 6 indicates a minor hub shift affecting the date area during die preparation, where the secondary impression is visible at the top outside of the final digit, while the near date positioning reflects the die sinker's placement of the date punch closer to the bust than standard. Martin Field's 1980 discovery places this among the earlier VAM attributions, predating the digital-era explosion of variety research by more than two decades. The 1896-P Morgan Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint during a period when Morgan Dollar production was declining from its peak years — Philadelphia produced 9,976,762 pieces that year. George T. Morgan's Liberty Head design, in service since 1878, featured date digits that were individually punched into each working die, and variations in punch placement and depth were inevitable across the many dies consumed during production. The combination of a doubled digit with an atypical date position creates a two-feature attribution that rewards careful examination: collectors first notice the date sitting closer to the bust than expected, then confirm the doubling on the 6 under magnification. VAM-17 represents a classic example of the hand-crafted die preparation process that characterized nineteenth-century United States coinage.

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