1888-P VAM-5

Description

Discovered by Maurice Dubreuil in January 1977, the 1888-P VAM-5 "Doubled 1" Morgan dollar identifies subtle doubling at the top of the numeral 1 in the date, manifesting as a thin, short, curved line above the primary numeral. Cataloged as 5 III2 4 · C3a (Doubled 1) with die number 190, this variety pairs Obverse III2 4 with a standard C3a reverse. The DPIS entry LH3/B45LE provides specific die identification codes for tracking within the Die Pair Identification System. George T. Morgan's silver dollar was produced at Philadelphia in 1888 with an approximate mintage of 12.16 million coins, generating the die throughput that populates the substantial VAM census for this date. Maurice Dubreuil's January 1977 discovery places this attribution among the early systematic VAM identifications, established during the foundational decade when Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis were building the comprehensive catalog that would become the standard reference for Morgan dollar die varieties. The doubled 1 diagnostic — a thin, short, curved line at the top of the numeral — represents a minimal hub doubling event where the secondary impression barely displaced from the primary, leaving only a subtle trace above the numeral's apex. The curved quality of this secondary line suggests the displacement followed a slight arc rather than a straight linear path, consistent with a rotational component in the hub misalignment. The Obverse III2 4 classification identifies the specific hub type and die number within the III2 family, distinguishing this obverse from others in the 1888-P die inventory. Emission sequence data for both obverse and reverse dies awaits further documentation. Collectors should examine the top of the leftmost numeral in the 1888 date under at least 20x magnification, looking for the thin curved line that sits above the primary numeral's summit, which can easily be overlooked without focused inspection.

External References