1878-P VAM-40A

Description

Discovered in 2016, the 1878-P VAM-40A belongs to the inaugural year of Morgan Dollar production and is classified under die marriage II/I 8 with reverse die B/Aj. This variety is designated 5 TF (Tail Feathers) with Break ER, indicating it was struck from dies featuring the eight-tail-feather eagle arrangement characteristic of the earliest 1878 reverse. It appears under the Reverse of 1878 parent, which features the original eagle design with eight tail feathers before the Mint transitioned to seven feathers later that year. The reverse die B/Aj in its Late Die State (LDS) exhibits peripheral die cracks at the tops of legend letters, with radial die cracks extending from the rim to the top of the E in AMERICA and a displaced field break strongest at the tops of the E and R. In 1878, dates were part of the master die, so there is no variation in date position across different die marriages for this year. The progressive die deterioration visible on this variety makes it a useful study piece for understanding how Morgan Dollar reverse dies failed under heavy production demands during the series' first year.

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