1886-P VAM-1N1

Description

Discovered in 2017 by "CascadeChris" Simpson, the 1886-P VAM-1N1 Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 1 – C3a (Dot Ear, Spike at Wing) with die pairing number 189. The obverse (III2 1) features a small die chip at the lower inside of Liberty's ear — the "Dot Ear" diagnostic, where a tiny raised dot on the struck coin corresponds to a small pit or chip in the die face within the ear cavity. The reverse (C3a) shows a short spike extending from the edge of the sixth outer feather from the bottom of the eagle's leaf wing in early die state (EDS), with a couple of additional short spikes visible above it — progressive die deterioration features at the feather tips where the die steel began to fracture under repeated striking loads. A critical community note establishes that VAM-1N1 and VAM-1N2 represent the same die, with VAM-1N2 being the later die state (LDS) — meaning collectors who locate a specimen matching either description are looking at the same die marriage at different points in its production timeline, and the progression from N1 to N2 documents how the die's condition evolved between the two cataloged states. The Morgan Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1886 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. George T. Morgan's design was in its ninth year of production. The 1886-P had a mintage of approximately 19.9 million pieces. The dot ear combined with the wing spike provides a two-point diagnostic system spanning both sides of the coin, and the documented die-state relationship between VAM-1N1 and VAM-1N2 offers collectors a clear progression framework for placing individual specimens within this die's production chronology.

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