1886-P VAM-1H

Description

Laurence Galbraith identified this variety in May 2005, cataloging a vertical die scratch running through the middle of the eagle's right wing near the inner feathers on the reverse of an 1886 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar. Under the Van Allen-Mallis system, VAM-1H is designated III21 paired with reverse C3a and carries a Rarity Scale of 189. The obverse die carries an additional diagnostic: a heavy gouge within the letter I in LIBERTY, which helps confirm the correct die marriage even when the reverse die scratch is difficult to see due to wear or toning. The "1H" designation — using the numeral 1 followed by a letter suffix — indicates this is a sub-variety within the VAM-1 family, meaning it shares core die characteristics with the base VAM-1 pairing but was distinguished by the presence of the wing die scratch that developed during die use. The 1886-P Morgan Dollar is a significant date for collectors because Philadelphia struck approximately 19.96 million pieces, one of the larger mintages in the series, yet the date is considerably scarcer in high grades than the mintage might suggest because relatively fewer bags were preserved in Treasury vaults compared to neighboring dates. Die scratches like the one on VAM-1H develop during production as foreign material or die maintenance tools leave incidental marks on the die surface, and each scratch creates a raised line on every coin subsequently struck from that die, providing a reliable diagnostic for variety attribution.

External References