1888-P VAM-7B2

Description

Revised in August 2023 by Jonnie Durham from the earlier VAM-7B designation, this 1888 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar variety is classified as III2 5 - C3d (Doubled Reverse, Die Chips, Gouge State 5) and represents a specific die state within the VAM-7 die pair sequence. The reverse die in state C3d shows an added long gouge along the bottom edge of the olive branch and a short gouge extending from the top of the end of the olive branch — progressive die damage that developed as the die accumulated use. The notation identifies VAM-7B1 as the previous stage and VAM-7C1 as the next stage, placing this variety precisely within the die's lifespan documentation. VAM researchers track these die state progressions to understand how dies deteriorated during production runs, and the systematic naming convention (7B2 following 7B1, preceding 7C1) provides a chronological roadmap of the die's working life. The 1888 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar had a mintage of approximately 12.1 million pieces, and the doubled reverse combined with accumulating die chips and gouges tells the story of a die that saw heavy use. The VAM-7 die pair has been documented across multiple states, making it one of the more extensively tracked die progressions for this date.

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