1881-P VAM-1C1

Description

Discovered in December 2005 by Mike Best, the 1881-P VAM-1C1 is a Morgan dollar variety struck at the Philadelphia Mint featuring a Die Scratch on the Eagle's Left Wing. Classified as III2 1 - C3a (Die Scratch Eagle's Left Wing) (181), this variety documents a distinctive die imperfection on the reverse that serves as the primary attribution diagnostic. The Morgan dollar is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. Philadelphia produced 9,163,975 Morgan dollars in 1881, a moderate mintage during the early years of the Bland-Allison Act's mandated silver dollar production. The obverse die, classified as III2 1, is described as normal dies, meaning no distinctive features beyond standard die characteristics are present on the obverse. The reverse die, designated C3a, displays a long circular thin die scratch in the upper part of the eagle's left wing. Die scratches of this nature typically result from foreign material or tooling contact during die preparation, creating a permanent feature that appears as a raised line on every coin struck from the die. An important catalog note records that the original 1881-P VAM-1C was split into VAM-1C1 and VAM-1C2 in May 2010 upon the discovery of a clashed die stage. This die state differentiation is significant because it means the reverse die that originally defined VAM-1C was found in both clashed and unclashed states, warranting separate catalog entries to document each condition. The splitting of VAM designations based on die state discoveries is a common practice in VAM cataloging that helps collectors understand the full production history of individual dies as they progressed through different stages of use and wear at the Philadelphia Mint.

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