1903-P VAM-6

Description

Discovered by Mark Kimpton in April 2003, VAM-6 of the 1903 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar is classified as a Doubled Profile with Normal Date variety under the catalog designation 6 III2 6 - C4a (189). The obverse die (III2 6) exhibits slight doubling on Liberty's profile — specifically on the forehead, nose, lips, and chin — while the date maintains its normal position, distinguishing this die from date-position varieties. Profile doubling on Morgan Dollars is a mechanically distinct phenomenon from the more commonly encountered date and motto doubling: because the portrait occupies a large, sculptural area of the die, even minor hub shifts produce visible separation on the contour edges of facial features, manifesting as a thin secondary outline along the forehead ridge, the bridge of the nose, the lip line, and the chin prominence. Kimpton's notation advises careful comparison with VAM-15, as the two varieties share similar visual characteristics and can be confused without detailed side-by-side analysis of the profile doubling specifics and any ancillary die differences. George T. Morgan's Liberty head design, with its Phrygian cap wreathed in cotton and wheat, positions the left-facing profile centrally on the obverse, making the doubled contour visible across a broad arc of the portrait. The 1903 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar had a mintage of 4,652,755 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams. The C4a reverse die designation tracks this variety's reverse die pairing, and collectors should note that the same obverse die may have been paired with multiple reverse dies during its working life, potentially creating sub-varieties with different reverse die markers.

External References