1896-P VAM-1C2

Description

Discovered in 2014 by Lance Newman and attributed through the LVA and OCC organizations, the 1896-P VAM-1C2 is cataloged as die pair III2 1 / C3a with the descriptive title "Thread-Like Impression Eagle's Wing, Collar Clash Obverse 12 O'clock." This variety documents two distinct die anomalies: the thread-like impression from the eagle's wing — a faint transferred design element from the reverse die appearing on the obverse — and a collar clash with reeding indents visible at the outside edge of the rim at the 12 o'clock position. A collar clash occurs when the coin's collar (the retaining ring that forms the edge during striking) shifts slightly and contacts the die face, impressing the reeding pattern from the collar's inner surface onto the die and subsequently transferring those reeding marks as raised impressions at the rim of every coin struck from that die. The Morgan dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 mm and 189 reeds on the edge. The 1896-P had a relatively modest business strike mintage of approximately 9.98 million pieces, placing it among the mid-range Philadelphia Morgan dollar issues. Collar clashes are considerably less common than standard die clashes and represent a distinct mechanical failure where the collar assembly rather than the opposing die contacts the working die face, making VAM-1C2 a variety of particular interest to collectors who specialize in manufacturing error classification and die failure mechanics.

External References