1901-P VAM-20

Description

Discovered by John Coxe in February 2008 and revised in September 2022, the 1901-P VAM-20 Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 1 · C4/C3h (2 Olive Reverse, Atypical Die Erosion) and designated as a WOW! Morgan VAM — a distinction reserved for varieties considered especially significant or visually striking within the VAM collecting community. The obverse (III2 1) shows a date set slightly low with very slightly doubled nose and upper lip on Liberty\'s portrait, subtle features that require careful examination under magnification. The reverse carries the complex C4/C3h classification featuring the "2 Olive Reverse" — an extra olive visible in the wreath design — combined with atypical die erosion that has altered the die surface beyond normal wear patterns. The DPIS (Date Position In Sheldon) is noted as LH3/B45. Cataloged by VAMWorld, this variety shares its reverse die with the 1901-P VAM-17, each paired with a different obverse die — a die linkage that helps researchers map the Philadelphia Mint\'s die usage patterns for the 1901 date. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1901, composed of 90% silver and 10% copper at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1901-P had a mintage of approximately 6.96 million pieces. The "2 Olive Reverse" feature — where a shallow extra olive appears connected to the branch — represents doubled or extra design elements in the wreath that originated during the die preparation process, creating a permanent variety marker shared across all coins struck from this reverse die regardless of die state.

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