1902-P VAM-17

Description

Discovered by C. Logan McKechnie in August 2003, the 1902-P Morgan Dollar VAM-17 is classified as III210 C4a and documents a subtle variety: doubled ear inside — where Liberty's ear shows slight doubling at both the right and left interior surfaces. The original VAM documentation includes an important cautionary note: "Doubling, such as photographed below, make very poor PUPs for attributions as they can be terribly transitory and therefore too unreliable." This warning highlights a fundamental challenge in die variety attribution — some doubled features are so subtle that they may be difficult to reproduce in photographs, may appear inconsistently depending on strike quality and metal flow, and could be mistaken for similar but non-diagnostic die characteristics. Pick-Up Points (PUPs) are the specific diagnostic features collectors use for rapid attribution, and when a variety's primary feature is deemed unreliable as a PUP, it complicates the attribution process. George T. Morgan's obverse design shows Liberty facing left with the ear positioned just below and in front of the hair bun, making the ear's inner contours a small but accessible diagnostic zone. The 1902-P was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter, with a mintage of 7,994,000 pieces. The C4a reverse classification pairs this obverse die with a specific reverse without additional distinctive features, focusing attribution attention entirely on the obverse ear doubling.

External References