1896-P VAM-1G

Description

Designated as the seventh sub-variety of VAM-1 for the 1896 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar, VAM-1G documents a subtle manufacturing artifact rather than a dramatic die error. Classified as III2 1 C3a with the designation "Thread-like Impression Wreath Leaf," the defining feature is a thread-like impression on the middle leaf at the top of the wreath, positioned above the O in ONE on the reverse. Discovered in 2014, the variety received the emission sequence number 198. The obverse die shows the date set slightly low at a normal lateral position — a minor positional variation within the range of hand-punched date placement. The thread-like impression that defines this variety likely resulted from contact with a foreign object or a fine die scratch that left a linear mark on the wreath leaf during die preparation or early use. Sub-varieties lettered A through G for VAM-1 reflect the depth of examination applied to even the most common die pairings, as researchers examine every minor distinction that might separate one working die from another. Philadelphia's 1896 Morgan Dollar production of nearly 9.98 million coins provided abundant material for this level of detailed die study.

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