1899-P VAM-3

Description

Originally discovered by George Mallis in June 1974, the 1899-P VAM-3 was cataloged as a "Closed 9's" variety — a die with 9 digits in the date showing closed loops rather than the open-tailed 9's typically seen. However, the variety has been formally eliminated from the VAM catalog after no physical specimens could be found to confirm the closed 9's characteristic. The elimination notation is itself historically significant within VAM scholarship: it demonstrates the self-correcting nature of the attribution system, where varieties initially cataloged from limited examination or photographic evidence can be removed when subsequent investigation fails to verify the claimed diagnostic features. Originally classified as III2 3 with reverse die C3a and rated I-1 interest at R-3 rarity, the variety's initial classification suggested it should have been relatively common — making the inability to locate confirming specimens all the more noteworthy. Despite the elimination, the listing persists in the VAM catalog as a historical record, alerting researchers that this number has been used and retired. The 1899 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar was struck during the final years of the nineteenth-century production run. George T. Morgan's design in 90% silver at 38.1mm and 26.73 grams. This eliminated variety serves as a reminder that numismatic attribution is an evolving discipline subject to revision.

External References