1878-P VAM-41
Error
Description
1878-P VAM-41 7/8 Tailfeathers (7/7) Discovered by Leroy Van Allen, December 1965. Reverse discovered by Neil Shaffer, November 1964. This coin is a Top 100 Morgan VAM. '''41''' '''II 2 · B/Ak (7 TF) (180) ''' '''Obverse II 2–''' Fourth right star has just part of point broken off. ''Die marker'' - Diagonal die scratch up from top right cotton leaf. Also VAMs 34 & 39. Latest die state with further polished nostril and 4th right star plus clash marks. '''Reverse B/Ak -''' Seven tail feather ends showing. '''DPIS – In 1878 dates were part of the master die so there is no variation in position. ;Emission Sequence :Obverse: :Reverse: '''Comments: # A change in the Morgan dollar reverse design, reducing the tailfeathers from eight to seven occurred. Some of the dies were modified rather than simply recreated with 7 tailfeathers and those 7/8 tailfeather dies show the remains of the older set below the new. The VAM-41 exhibits the strongest set of tailfethers tips sprouting below the standard 7. On the obverse, there is a die gouge from the cotton leaf to the fold in the cap that can be used as a marker to identify this VAM. Note this gouge is also present on the [[1878-P VAM-34 [[1878-P VAM-39 [[1878-P VAM-41 [[1878-P VAM-41B which share the same obverse die. # The [[1878-P VAM-41B (Discovery 2003) shares the same reverse, but has [[clashed dies obverse lettering. Because it is the reverse 7/7 TF feature that makes the coin a Top 100 variety, the VAM-41B qualifies as a Top 100 coin. # The Top 100 status. # The letter suffixes of these VAMs are out of order relative to die progression only because they were discovered out of order.