1886-P VAM-1J

Description

Once part of the active Van Allen-Mallis listing, VAM-1J on the 1886 Morgan Dollar has been delisted — meaning the variety was removed from the current catalog, typically because the defining feature was deemed too minor or potentially the result of post-strike damage rather than a genuine die characteristic. The variety was originally described as exhibiting a long vertical thin thread-like impression on the inner feathers of the eagle's right wing, a feature subtle enough to question whether it represented a repeatable die artifact or an individual coin anomaly. Discovered in 2007 and assigned plate designation 1J III2 1 with die pair C3a (189), the variety had a brief tenure before removal. Delisting does not necessarily mean the feature is imaginary — it may exist on the die — but the VAM community determined it fell below the threshold for separate catalog recognition. The 1886 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar is a common date with substantial surviving populations, making it a frequent subject of VAM research. Collectors encountering older labels referencing VAM-1J should understand this designation is no longer recognized in current Van Allen-Mallis references.

External References