1885-P VAM-1O

Description

Discovered in 2014 by collector pacificwr, this Philadelphia Mint 1885 Morgan Dollar carries the unusual designation VAM-1O (one-oh, not ten) with die pair III2 1 and reverse C3a. The defining feature is a radial die crack from the denticles extending downward at the left of the dot between S in PLURIBUS and left U in UNUM, with a slight displaced field break. Very slight doubling appears below the top crossbar on the 1. A long vertical polishing line at the lower right of the upper hair curl serves as the obverse die marker. The discovery coin also shows pitting on the eagle and arrow heads, though this may not appear on all specimens. The die shows slight clashing with no letter transfer. This variety does not belong to the standard VAM-1 family despite its numerical designation — it carries a Far Date, distinguishing it from the normal date position of VAM-1 varieties. The original catalogers noted it is ripe for renumbering given potential confusion with the VAM-1 family. The die crack at the S-U junction combined with the Far Date provides a clear attribution pathway. =1885-P VAM-1O Die break S-U= Discovery 2014 - pacificwr 1O III2 1 - C3a (Die break S-U) (189) Obverse III2 1 - Radial die crack from denticles down at left of dot between S in PLURIBUS and left U in UNUM with slight displaced field break.

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