1900-P VAM-21

Description

Discovered by Leroy Van Allen himself in March 1982, VAM-21 on the 1900 Morgan Dollar carries a provenance few varieties can match — attribution by the co-creator of the entire Van Allen-Mallis classification system. The obverse displays doubling on three date digits: the 9 shows faint secondary impressions at the bottom right, while both 0s are doubled at the lower right inside of their loops. Classified under plate designation 21 III2 16 with die pair C3a (190), this Philadelphia Mint variety comes from one of the highest-mintage dates in the Morgan series. Van Allen's personal involvement adds numismatic provenance beyond the die characteristics themselves — it was discovered through the same meticulous die study methodology that Van Allen and A. George Mallis developed when they created the VAM system in the 1960s. The 1900 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar survives abundantly, particularly from Treasury hoards. Collectors attributing VAM-21 should inspect the 9 and both 0s under magnification, focusing on the lower-right interior curves where secondary impressions are most pronounced, confirming the triple-digit doubling that defines this variety.

External References