1896-P VAM-30

Description

Cataloged in 2009, the 1896-P VAM-30 Morgan Dollar is classified as 30 III2 28 – C3a (Doubled 18) with die pairing number 190. The obverse (III2 28) exhibits the 1 slightly doubled below the upper crossbar and the 8 doubled at the top inside of the upper loop — subtle date digit doubling produced during the hubbing process when successive hub impressions were not perfectly aligned. The date is positioned at the left edge of the normal lateral range with a slight slant, the 1 sitting closest to the rim — positional characteristics that help distinguish this specific obverse die from others in the 1896-P die population. The die marker is a single diagonal polishing line visible on the 3rd and 4th inner feathers from the bottom of the eagle's left wing — a precise and distinctive feature created during die maintenance that serves as the primary reverse identification point. The DPIS reading is recorded for positional reference within the VAM framework. The reverse (C3a) is classified as a normal die. The Morgan Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1896 during the Gilded Age, a period of intense political debate over the gold versus silver standard that would culminate in William Jennings Bryan's famous "Cross of Gold" speech that same year. Composed of 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter, the 1896-P had a mintage of approximately 9.98 million pieces. George T. Morgan's design features Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap on the obverse and a heraldic eagle within a wreath on the reverse. The doubled 18 diagnostic requires careful examination under 7x magnification, as the doubling on the crossbar of the 1 and the upper loop of the 8 is subtle — the left-positioned slanted date provides a secondary visual cue that can help collectors identify potential VAM-30 candidates before magnified examination.

External References