1885-P VAM-1R

Description

Discovered in 2018 and classified under die pair (189), this Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar carries die marriage III2 1 - C3a and features a short die gouge in the T of LIBERTY as its primary obverse diagnostic. The R suffix on VAM-1R indicates a revised or reclassified die state within the VAM-1 family. The emission sequence is documented as "lightly clashed no transfer," meaning the dies made contact without a planchet but the clash was light enough that no visible design transfer occurred on the struck coins — an unusual notation that records a clash event detectable through die examination but not through inspection of the coins themselves. The die marriage designation III2 1 - C3a identifies the specific pairing of obverse and reverse dies within the classification framework. The 2018 discovery date makes this a relatively recent addition to the 1885-P Morgan Dollar VAM catalog, reflecting the ongoing nature of variety research even on well-studied dates. The short die gouge in the T of LIBERTY serves as the primary attribution marker, and collectors examining 1885-P Morgan Dollars should check this letter position carefully when attempting identification.

External References