1888-P VAM-1B

Description

Originally discovered by Michael Ash in June 2004 and revised in 2013, the 1888-P VAM-1B Morgan Dollar is designated "Clashed Obverse n" and carries the classification III21 - C3a with a rarity rating of 189. The key diagnostic feature is a tripled clashed die on the obverse, where the design elements from the reverse die were transferred to the obverse die surface during at least three clashing events — instances where the obverse and reverse dies struck each other without a planchet between them. The most prominent clash evidence is a faint short incuse letter "n" from the reverse word "In" appearing next to Liberty's neck on the obverse, a telltale transfer mark that is characteristic of die clashes on Morgan Dollars where the positioning of the reverse inscriptions relative to the obverse portrait creates predictable clash zones. A slight slant to the date adds a secondary diagnostic. The reverse die marker is a thin die scratch at the end of the lower arrowhead, providing rapid attribution confirmation on the eagle side of the coin. The 1888-P Morgan Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a mintage of 12,150,000 pieces in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter. George T. Morgan's designs — the left-facing Liberty head with cap on the obverse and the heraldic eagle with arrows and olive branch on the reverse — create the distinctive die clash patterns that VAM specialists use to identify and catalog these interaction varieties. The triple clash sequence on VAM-1B indicates the dies were used together through multiple clashing incidents before being retired or resurfaced.

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