1887-O VAM-1B

Description

Discovered in 2010, the 1887-O VAM-1B carries die classification III2 1·C3a under the title Die Break Right S in STATES. The defining feature is a die crack at the top of the word STATES on the reverse, accompanied by a diagonal crack descending from the left side of the right S — a two-leg crack pattern. Where this diagonal crack intersects the field, a displaced field die break develops: a raised section of field metal pushed above the normal coin surface by the opening fracture in the die. This displaced field break is a late-stage die failure that converts the crack from a simple line into a three-dimensional feature with a raised mesa effect. The 1887-O Morgan Dollar was struck at the New Orleans Mint. VAM-1B is a subvariety of the primary VAM-1 classification for this date and mint, with the B suffix denoting a die state or pairing variation. Die break progression on this die can be traced from early state examples showing only the top-of-STATES crack to later states with the full diagonal crack and displaced field break fully developed.

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