1886-O VAM-1D1

Description

Discovered by John Coxe in October 2006, the 1886-O Morgan Dollar VAM-1D1 is identified by a diagonal die gouge at the lower inside of Liberty's ear on obverse die III21, paired with reverse die C3a under catalog number 181. Die gouges located within the ear canal of George T. Morgan's Liberty portrait are among the more precisely locatable variety features, as the ear provides a well-defined anatomical reference point where even small marks are readily apparent under magnification. The diagonal orientation of the gouge — cutting across the ear's interior at an angle rather than following the ear's contours — suggests the mark resulted from contact with a pointed tool or fragment during die handling or preparation. The "1D1" suffix following the variety number indicates this is a sub-variety within the VAM-1D family, with the numeral distinguishing it from the parent variety through a specific die marker or state change. The 1886-O Morgan Dollar is a scarcer New Orleans Mint issue, and VAM varieties from lower-mintage dates carry additional interest because fewer examples exist for each documented die pairing.

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