1881-CC VAM-3

Description

Discovered by Hoyt Warren in January 1976, this 1881 Carson City Morgan Dollar VAM-3 features a trio of diagnostics: a thin dash under the bottom loop of the right 8, doubled left 1 and left 8 in the date, and a long interrupted horizontal die gouge through the wreath berry cluster and bow knot on the reverse. The dash beneath the 8 — a short raised line in the field directly under the lower loop — likely originated from a shallow scratch or engraving mark on the die face. The date doubling affects the leftmost digits, where secondary impressions trace the numeral 1 and the first 8 with slight displacement. The reverse gouge traverses multiple botanical elements, cutting horizontally through the berry cluster and bow, with interruptions where the gouge skips across raised design features. The Carson City Mint in Nevada operated from 1870 to 1893, and all CC-mintmark Morgan Dollars carry collector premiums tied to the facility's storied history and Comstock Lode silver. Warren's 1976 identification established this variety during the early cataloging era, and the three distinct features provide multiple attribution criteria. Both 8's have a short die chip at top left inside of upper loops.

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