1886-P VAM-1K

Description

Eleventh in the VAM-1 sub-variety sequence for the 1886 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar, VAM-1K is classified III2 1 with a C3a reverse and defined by a vertical die scratch at the inside of the ninth feather from the bottom of the eagle's left wing. Die scratches differ from die cracks in origin — scratches result from physical contact with a foreign object during die handling, while cracks develop from cumulative striking stress. Counting feathers from the wing bottom to the ninth position demonstrates the precision VAM attribution demands, where researchers locate features on specific feathers among dozens in the eagle's wing design. Additional die markers include polishing-related features described as "pups" between the cotton bolls on the obverse. Discovered in 2008, VAM-1K extends a long chain of sub-varieties under VAM-1 for 1886-P — with the letter K indicating at least eleven documented states within this single die pair. Philadelphia struck the 1886 Morgan Dollar in large quantity, and extended service life of individual die pairs generated the progressive features that VAM researchers meticulously catalog.

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