1886-P VAM-1N2

Description

Found in 2017 by CascadeChris Simpson, this 1886 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar VAM-1N2 exhibits two distinctive features: a small die chip at the lower inside of Liberty's ear — known as the "Dot Ear" — and a die break across the top of AMERICA with displaced field metal at the letters ERICA. Classified as 1N2 III2 1 - C3a (189), the designation indicates this is a later die state evolving from the prior 1886-P VAM-1N, documenting progressive die deterioration within a single die pair's working life. The die crack at AMERICA had advanced sufficiently to produce displaced metal — a stage beyond simple cracking where die steel separation allows planchet metal to flow into the gap, creating raised irregular formations on the struck coin. The Dot Ear feature, a die chip filling a small area inside the ear's lower contour, provides a reliable obverse diagnostic visible under moderate magnification. Simpson's discovery over 130 years after the coin's production demonstrates the continuing depth of Morgan Dollar die variety research.

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