1879-P VAM-1B

Description

Cataloged as 1B III21 - C3a (Clashed Obverse n) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-5 (approximately 30-75 known), the 1879-P VAM-1B "Clashed Obverse n" Morgan dollar documents a die clash event where a faint double incuse letter n from the reverse word "In" appears transferred onto the obverse adjacent to Liberty's neck on George T. Morgan's design. Die clashing occurs when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them — an event that can happen during press operation when a blank fails to feed into position. The impact transfers design elements from each die into the opposing die's surface as incuse impressions, and these transferred elements then appear as raised features on subsequently struck coins. The specific diagnostic — a faint double incuse n of "In" from the reverse — indicates the clash transferred the reverse inscription element to a position next to Liberty's neck on the obverse, and the "double" descriptor suggests either two clash events occurred or the transferred image shows doubling characteristics. Philadelphia struck approximately 14.81 million Morgan dollars in 1879, the series' second year of production when die preparation and press operation procedures were still being refined for the relatively new design. The Obverse III21 classification identifies a specific obverse die type, while the C3a reverse represents a standard reverse pairing. At R-5 rarity, confirmed specimens are genuinely scarce, and identification requires careful examination of the field adjacent to Liberty's neck under 15-20x magnification, looking for the subtle raised n letterform that shouldn't be present on a clash-free specimen. The question mark notation in the catalog suggests provisional aspects of the classification may await further confirmation.

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