1886-P VAM-6C

Description

Discovered in 2015, the 1886-P VAM-6C Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 6 - C3a (High 6, Die Chip Back of Cap Ribbon) with die pairing number 189. The obverse (III2 6) in very late die state (VLDS) shows heavy peripheral die wear and a medium-size die chip in the field to the right of the Phrygian cap ribbon — an advanced deterioration pattern indicating this die had been used extensively beyond its normal retirement threshold. Diagonal clash lines are visible at Liberty's neck, but the clashed n (from the reverse word "In") has been worn away, suggesting an earlier clash event whose evidence has been partially obliterated by subsequent die wear and polishing. The "High 6" component of the designation refers to the elevated position of the final digit 6 in the date 1886 relative to its normal placement. Community commentary notes that the die chip pictured "looks a lot like a planchet flaw" and requests additional specimens to corroborate the variety — a cautionary note highlighting the diagnostic challenge of distinguishing between a die chip (which appears on every coin from that die) and a planchet flaw (which affects only the individual coin). The reverse (C3a) is classified as a normal die. George T. Morgan's design was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1886 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1886-P had a mintage of approximately 19.96 million pieces. The VLDS condition of this die, combined with the partially worn-away clash evidence and the debated die chip, documents the extreme end of a working die's service life, where multiple types of deterioration accumulate and interact to create complex diagnostic challenges.

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