1887-P VAM-1J

Description

Discovered by John Baumgart in April 2010, the 1887-P VAM-1J Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 1 - C3a (Die Scratch Wing-Body) with die pairing number 190. The obverse (III2 1) has the date in the middle of the normal lateral position, with no significant obverse anomalies beyond the standard positioning. The reverse (C3a) features the defining characteristic: a diagonal die scratch at the eagle's left wing sixth inner feather from bottom, accompanied by a short tick at the inner and outer feather junction. The scratch is positioned higher on the wing than the similar scratch found on 1887-P VAM-20, a distinction that separates the two varieties and prevents misattribution between them. Die scratch varieties on Morgan Dollar reverses, while less dramatic than doubled dates or mintmark anomalies, serve as important die identification markers that allow precise attribution of specific working dies within a given date's die population. Some specimens are noted as showing late die state (LDS) characteristics, indicating this die was used extensively through its operational lifespan. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1887 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1887-P had a large mintage of approximately 20.3 million pieces, creating a substantial die population across which die-specific anomalies like this wing scratch could occur. The relative positioning of the scratch compared to VAM-20's wing scratch — higher versus lower on the sixth inner feather — illustrates the precision required in VAM attribution, where the difference between two varieties may be measured in fractions of a millimeter on the eagle's plumage detail.

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