1886-P VAM-1F

Description

Discovered by Mark Kimpton in August 2003, VAM-1F for the 1886 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar was originally classified as III21 with a C3a reverse pairing, documenting a clashed obverse that shows a partial incuse letter "n" from the reverse's "In" inscription transferred onto the obverse next to Liberty's neck. Die clashing occurs when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, impressing design elements from one die into the face of the other. On this variety, the reverse "n" from "In God We Trust" transferred as an incuse impression near Liberty's neck on the obverse, and later die states show the clashed "n" appearing doubled as the die received additional clash events. This variety was subsequently eliminated from the VAM catalog and reclassified as 1886-P VAM-6A, indicating that upon further study, researchers determined it belonged within the VAM-6 die marriage rather than as a variant of VAM-1. Such reclassifications are routine in VAM scholarship, where ongoing research continually refines the catalog. The 1886-P Morgan Dollar was struck during the Gilded Age under the Bland-Allison Act, and Philadelphia's production for this date is considered moderately available in uncirculated grades. The delisting of VAM-1F demonstrates the self-correcting nature of die variety research, where discoveries are validated and sometimes reorganized as understanding deepens.

External References