1884-O VAM-5E

Description

Discovered in 2015, the 1884-O VAM-5E carries the full designation Far Date, Polishing Lines Forehead, Scribbles Eye, Scratches Ear, classified as III2 4 on the obverse paired with reverse C3a. The obverse shows heavy vertical polishing lines running across the top of Liberty's forehead, with scribble lines concentrated at the front of the eye and light scribbles on the cheek. Short diagonal die scratches at the hair above the ear complete the obverse markers. No reverse anomalies were noted beyond the standard C3a die. A critical attribution note accompanies this entry: the 1884-O VAM-5E shares neither obverse nor reverse die with 1884-O VAM-5, VAM-5A, or VAM-5D, despite carrying the "5" base number. This is a fully independent die pairing that happens to exhibit similar characteristics to the VAM-5 family. The New Orleans Mint 1884-O Morgan Dollar is one of the most widely collected dates in the series, with abundant surviving population but significant variety diversity within it. Polishing line and scribble varieties require close examination under magnification, and the forehead-to-eye spread of markers on this die makes VAM-5E identifiable with experience.

External References