1885-P VAM-5A

Description

Discovered by Laurence Galbraith in October 2005, VAM-5A on the 1885-P Morgan Dollar carries the designation III2 5 with reverse C3a and the title "Doubled 85, Clashed Obverse n." The obverse III2 5 die is a clashed die — it came into direct contact with the reverse die without an intervening planchet — and the clash event transferred a faint incuse lowercase "n" from the word "In" on the reverse to the obverse die face, where it appears next to Liberty's neck as a subtle raised element on coined specimens. This clash transfer of the "n" is the primary diagnostic feature that elevates VAM-5A from the base VAM-5 designation: the parent variety VAM-5 uses the same obverse die with the "Doubled 85" feature but in either an unclashed state or a clashed state where no letter transfer occurred, meaning the distinguishing criterion between VAM-5 and VAM-5A is the presence or absence of the transferred "n" near Liberty's neck. The "Doubled 85" component of the title documents hub doubling on the final two digits of the date 1885, where a secondary hub impression left detectable offset on the 8 and the 5. The question mark in the catalog identification field indicates provisional status or pending formal numbering. Reverse die C3a carries no additional distinctive features noted beyond the normal die classification. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams, the 1885-P Morgan Dollar had a mintage of approximately 17.8 million pieces. The clashed "n" diagnostic requires careful examination under 10x magnification of the neck area to the right of Liberty's chin, looking for a faint, incuse-appearing letter form that does not belong to any obverse design element — its presence confirms VAM-5A, while its absence redirects attribution to the parent VAM-5.

External References