1886 Morgan Dollar - VAM-1Q

Description

Discovered in February 2024 by Jonnie Durham, VAM-1Q for the 1886-P Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 1 with reverse C3a, bearing the descriptive title "Gouges in Upper Tailfeathers, Chip on P." On the obverse, a die chip sits atop the P in PLURIBUS and a small portion of the lower edge of Liberty's cap just above the ribbon shows overpolishing — evidence that a Mint worker attempted to smooth out imperfections in the die surface. The reverse carries curved gouges in the upper tail feathers on both left and right sides, plus a horizontal gouge positioned above the inside of the eagle's right foot. The DPIS (date position in the shield) records as C3/B45. This variety's February 2024 discovery date illustrates how new VAM attributions continue to emerge nearly 150 years after these coins were struck, driven by systematic photographic analysis of surviving populations.

External References