1902-P VAM-19A

Description

Discovered in 2009, the 1902-P VAM-19A is cataloged in the Van Allen-Mallis system as die pair III2 5 / C4a with the descriptive title "Doubled Profile, Doubled Reverse Denticles, Polished Dies." This variety documents a fascinating sequence of die events: the obverse originally exhibited profile doubling — doubling visible on Liberty's facial contour — and the reverse carried doubled denticles at the lower right edge, but both dies were subsequently polished to remove die clash marks, and this polishing inadvertently removed most of the profile doubling from the obverse and weakened the denticle doubling on the reverse. The result is a variety where the original doubled die characteristics have been partially erased by die maintenance, leaving only faint traces of the original displacement along with the polished die surface finish as evidence of the variety's existence. This makes VAM-19A a study in die lifecycle management — the polishing that extended the die's productive life simultaneously diminished the very features that make the die numismatically distinctive. The Morgan dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1902-P had a business strike mintage of approximately 7.99 million pieces, placing it among the more modestly produced Philadelphia issues of the late Morgan dollar era. Collectors seeking this variety must examine specimens carefully for the remnant profile doubling that survived the polishing event.

External References