1881-O VAM-1B

Description

Classified as 1B (revised) III2 1 - C3a (176) with a rarity rating of I-2 R-6, this 1881 New Orleans Morgan Dollar is designated Die Gouge in DOLLAR with Clashed Obverse s. Discovered by Larry Briggs in April 2000, the reverse die (C3a) carries a long thin die gouge from D through O in DOLLAR — shared with VAMs 18, 43, and 49, establishing a four-variety reverse die lineage. On the obverse (III2 1), some specimens show a clashed die with partial incuse s from Trust transferred from the reverse, visible in the right hair vee of the lower hair edge. Early die stages with a single clash do not show the s; it was transferred during a second clash, and the significant separation between the two clashed impressions of the wing edge at Liberty's neck confirms two distinct clash events. The R-6 rarity rating indicates an estimated surviving population of 13 to 30 pieces, placing this firmly in the scarce category. The shared reverse die gouge across four VAM numbers enables researchers to reconstruct the die's service history through its successive pairings at the New Orleans Mint.

External References