VAM Variety (VAM)

VAM stands for Van Allen-Mallis, the two researchers — Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Mallis — whose Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace dollars (editions from 1977 on) set the standard numbering for die varieties on Morgan dollars (1878-1921) and Peace dollars (1921-1935). Each VAM number identifies a unique die pair based on specific diagnostic features: doubled dies, repunched dates and mint marks, die cracks, clash marks, die polishing, and other characteristics that distinguish one die pair from another. The VAM system assigns sequential numbers within each date and mint mark combination (e.g., 1899-S VAM-7), and the registry now runs to more than 3,000 VAMs.

How Does It Happen?

VAM varieties are not a single error type. The VAM system catalogs all identifiable die varieties on Morgan and Peace dollars, regardless of the variety's origin. A VAM number can describe any of the following:

Die Manufacturing Varieties

• Doubled dies: Hub misalignment during die making produces doubled design elements. Morgan dollars have numerous documented doubled die obverse and reverse VAMs, with doubling visible on lettering, stars, date, and Liberty's profile.
• Repunched dates: Through the original Morgan series the date was punched into each working die by hand rather than carried on the hub (Wexler). A date punched more than once, slightly out of register, leaves traces of the first impression beside the final one; the 1899-S VAM-7 is a well-known repunched date.
• Repunched mint marks: Mint marks on Morgan and Peace dollars were hand-punched into individual dies. The positioning varied from die to die, and repunching (a second strike of the mint mark punch) created doubled or shifted mint marks. Differences in mint mark position or size are enough to separate one VAM from another.
• Over mint marks: A die intended for one mint facility was repunched with a different mint mark. The original mint mark remains partially visible beneath the final one. The 1900-O/CC Morgan dollar (New Orleans mint mark over Carson City) is the best-known example; Carson City had stopped coining in 1893.

Die Service Life Varieties

• Die cracks: As a die fatigues through its production run, stress fractures develop in the die steel. These cracks transfer as raised lines on struck coins. Different die crack patterns at different stages of die life can produce multiple VAM designations from the same die pair.
• Die breaks and cuds: Advanced die cracking leads to pieces of the die face breaking away, producing die breaks and cuds. A die pair that develops a cud during its production run is cataloged as a distinct VAM or VAM sub-variety (die state).
• Die clash marks: When dies strike without a planchet between them, design elements transfer between dies. Clash marks on Morgan dollars are cataloged by VAM number, with some die pairs showing multiple clash events during their service life.
• Die polishing: The Mint polishes dies to remove clash marks, cracks, and surface imperfections. The extent and pattern of polishing varies between die maintenance events, and heavily polished dies that alter the coin's appearance constitute distinct VAM varieties. Some polished dies show dramatically reduced hair detail on Liberty or weakened eagle feathers.

Die State Progression

A single die pair can produce multiple VAM designations as it progresses through its service life. An early die state with crisp detail, no cracks, and no clashing is one VAM; the same die pair later, with a die crack through the date, is cataloged as a sub-variety of the original VAM. Collectors track these progressions as die states, and some VAMs are specifically identified by their die stage rather than their initial characteristics.

How to Identify a VAM Variety

VAM identification requires systematic comparison of a coin's die characteristics against the published VAM reference:

• Date and mint mark first: Determine the exact date and mint mark. This narrows the search to the specific VAM listing for that date/mint combination.
• Obverse diagnostics: Examine the date position (high, low, tilted), date numeral spacing, mint mark position and shape, star positions, and any doubling on LIBERTY, stars, or date. Each of these features is documented in the VAM reference with photographs and line drawings.
• Reverse diagnostics: Examine the eagle's tail feathers (number, position, and angle), wing tip positions, arrow feather details, wreath leaf positions, and lettering. The reverse provides as many diagnostic features as the obverse.
• Die markers: Beyond the primary VAM features, each die has unique minor characteristics — tiny die scratches, polish lines, or die chips — that confirm the specific die. These markers are documented in the VAM reference and serve as fingerprints for die identification.
• Die state: Once the VAM is identified, determine the die state by examining the progression of die cracks, polishing, and wear. Early die states (EDS) show the crispest detail; late die states (LDS) show advanced cracking and wear.

Essential Tools

Notable Examples

1878 8 Tail Feather VAMs

The first Morgan dollars of 1878 had 8 tail feathers on the eagle. Within weeks the design was revised, reducing the relief and cutting the feathers to 7, because earlier U.S. coins had shown an odd number. The 8-feather reverse exists in multiple VAM varieties, each with distinct die characteristics.

1888-O VAM-4 "Hot Lips"

A doubled die obverse whose doubling gives Liberty the appearance of two sets of lips, hence the "Hot Lips" nickname.

1900-O/CC

A Morgan dollar struck at the New Orleans Mint from a die first punched with a CC mint mark. Carson City stopped coining in 1893, and the CC shows beneath the O.

1921 Morgan Dollar VAMs

The obsolete Morgan dies had been destroyed in 1910, so George Morgan had to make an entirely new master die for the 1921 revival. The 1921 coins therefore differ in detail from the 1878-1904 issues, and their dies form their own group of VAMs.

Peace Dollar VAMs

Peace dollar VAMs are fewer: PCGS recognizes 52 Peace dollar VAMs against 317 for Morgan dollars. They are catalogued the same way, by doubled dies, repunched or misplaced features, die breaks and die states. (The 1922 "No D" is a Lincoln cent, not a Peace dollar; Peace dollars from Philadelphia carry no mint mark at all.)

Collecting Tips

• Start with the reference: The Van Allen-Mallis reference book (commonly called "the VAM book") is the essential starting point, with photographs and die diagnostics for each variety. VAMWORLD.com supplements the book with additional photography and community-contributed identification guides.
• Focus on a date/mint: The VAM catalog is enormous. Most collectors begin by specializing in a single date/mint combination — learning every cataloged VAM for that issue, acquiring examples, and building toward a complete set of varieties for that date.
• Top 100: Michael Fey and Jeff Oxman's The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties: The VAM Keys picks out a set of the most visible varieties and gives collectors a structured goal.
• Die state matters: Early die states usually show diagnostic features most sharply, but some VAMs are defined by late die state features (die breaks, advanced cracks), so the later state is the one that qualifies.
• Certification and attribution: PCGS attributes a recognized subset of VAMs (317 Morgan and 52 Peace, per Wikipedia) on its holders; other VAMs are attributed by specialists from the reference.
• Raw coin hunting: Many collectors look for unattributed VAM varieties in raw (uncertified) dealer stock and coin show bins, which rewards good attribution skills.
• Community engagement: VAMWORLD.com and VAM discussion forums are where collectors share discoveries, debate attributions, and add to the catalog.