1884-CC VAM-4B

Description

Discovered by Phil Perdue in May 2006, the 1884-CC VAM-4B Morgan Dollar carries the classification III24 - C3a with die pairing number 177 and the descriptive designation "Spiked Date, Die Break E." The obverse (III2 4) features a vertical spike protruding from the top of the numeral 1 in the date — a raised metal formation caused by a die gouge or crack that fills with metal during striking, producing a distinctive spike visible to the unaided eye. Some specimens additionally show a horizontal spike extending to the left of the lower loop of the first 8, providing a secondary obverse diagnostic for specimens struck from this die in the appropriate state. The reverse (C3a) displays a die crack running through the tops of MERI with a raised break on the top left serif of the E in AMERICA — progressive structural failure in the die steel where the thin serif of the letter E created a stress concentration point that fractured under repeated striking loads. VAMWorld community commentary notes that the gouge through the second E in STATES, presumably present on an earlier die state, has disappeared from later specimens — indicating that the die was polished or lapped during its service life, removing the gouge while the die crack continued to propagate independently. The 1884-CC Morgan Dollar was struck at the Carson City Mint in Nevada, one of the most celebrated mint facilities among collectors. Composed of 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter, the 1884-CC had a modest mintage of approximately 1.14 million pieces, though massive Treasury releases in the 1960s and 1970s from GSA holdings made many dates more available than their original mintages would suggest. George T. Morgan's design was by then in its seventh year of production across multiple mint facilities.

External References