1888-O VAM-1E

Description

Discovered by Michael Ash in June 2006, the 1888-O VAM-1E Morgan Dollar is cataloged as III21 - C3a (Die Chip Above F), die pair 181 under the Van Allen-Mallis system. The Morgan Dollar, designed by George T. Morgan, was struck at the New Orleans Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter. On the obverse (die III21), very slight doubling is visible on the right inside and bottom outside of Liberty's ear — a subtle diagnostic that requires careful magnification. The reverse (C3a) carries the defining feature: a die crack running through the tip of the eagle's left wing over to the rim above the letter F in OF, accompanied by a small die chip above the F that gives this variety its descriptive name. The O mintmark is set slightly high and slightly to the left of its typical position (type III O). The 1888-O had a mintage of 12,150,000 pieces at the New Orleans Mint. The progression from the base VAM-1 die state through the lettered substates (1A, 1B, etc.) tracks the accumulating die damage over the production run, with VAM-1E representing a mid-to-late die state where the wing crack and die chip have developed.

External References