1899-P VAM-4

Description

Discovered by Richard Nash in April 1978, the 1899-P VAM-4 Morgan Dollar was originally classified as III2 4 C3a (Doubled 189), die pair 189, but was eliminated from the active VAM listings on April 10, 2013. Investigation revealed that the discovery coin had a removed mintmark and was actually the same die pair as the 1899-O VAM-30, rendering the Philadelphia attribution incorrect. The Morgan Dollar, designed by George T. Morgan, was struck in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter. Before elimination, the obverse die (III2 4) was documented as showing the numeral 1 doubled slightly below its base, the 8 doubled on the right outside of both loops appearing as a thin arc to the right of the upper loop and a thin line to the lower right of the lower loop, and the first 9 doubled faintly on the inside of the lower loop. These doubling characteristics remain diagnostically accurate for the die pair itself; the error was in the mint attribution rather than the variety description. The elimination history of VAM-4 illustrates an important aspect of numismatic attribution: coins with altered or removed mintmarks can mislead researchers into creating phantom varieties attributed to the wrong mint facility. Collectors encountering coins matching these diagnostics should attribute them as 1899-O VAM-30 from the New Orleans Mint rather than the delisted Philadelphia designation.

External References