1878-P VAM-14.15

Description

Discovered in November 1997 by Richard Pawley, VAM-14.15 stands among the most elusive eight-tailfeather Morgan Dollar varieties from the Philadelphia Mint's inaugural 1878 production. Cataloged as I12 · A1L, this die marriage features a doubled motto and distinctive lines in Liberty's hair on an obverse shared with VAM-9 and VAM-14. The reverse die connects to a small family that includes VAM-14.2 and VAM-14.20, providing attribution cross-checks when specimens surface. As of February 2023, only a single uncirculated example had been confirmed, placing this variety firmly in the realm of condition rarities that command serious collector attention. The eight-tailfeather design represents the earliest reverse configuration used on 1878 Morgans before the Mint standardized on seven feathers, and varieties from this brief production window are consistently pursued by registry set builders. Because 1878 dates were struck from master dies that incorporated the date directly, all examples share consistent digit placement, making die-specific markers rather than date position the key to correct attribution.

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