1886-O VAM-1G

Description

Discovered in 2022 by Brent Fogelberg, VAM-1G on the 1886-O Morgan dollar presents a fascinating case of two distinct rotated clashes on a single reverse die. Cataloged as 1G III2 ? - C3? (2 Rotated Clashes), the reverse die exhibits two separate clash impressions inside the left wreath, with a measured 17-degree rotation between them. Rotated clashes occur when an obverse and reverse die make contact without a planchet between them at an angle offset from normal alignment, transferring incuse design elements from one die to the other. The presence of two such events at different rotation angles on the same reverse die indicates the die survived multiple clash incidents at varying degrees of misalignment before being retired. On the obverse, the date is positioned almost at the near position and set slightly high relative to the normal placement for 1886-O die pairs. The New Orleans Mint, which operated from 1838 to 1909, produced Morgan dollars with distinctive characteristics often reflecting the facility's older equipment and less stringent quality controls compared to Philadelphia. Collectors seeking this variety should examine the interior of the left wreath for the overlapping clash traces, using strong magnification to distinguish the two rotation angles.

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