1888-P VAM-10A

Description

Sharing the exact same die pair as the 1888-P VAM-10.2, this late die state designated VAM-10A exhibits a slanted date combined with a distinctive spitting eagle die chip below the eagle's lower beak on the reverse. The Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis cataloging system classifies this as III2 8 - C3a (Slanted Date, Spitting Eagle Die Chip), with the Roman numeral pairing indicating the obverse and reverse die combination. The "spitting eagle" nickname comes from the die chip's position beneath the beak, which gives the appearance of the heraldic eagle expelling material from its mouth — a colorful designation that has become standard terminology among Morgan dollar VAM collectors. Morgan Dollars struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1888 came from a mintage of approximately 12.1 million pieces, part of the massive silver dollar output mandated by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878 and later the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. The 1888-P date is generally available in circulated grades but scarcer in gem condition, and VAM varieties add a layer of die-specific collecting interest. The progression from VAM-10 through VAM-10.2 and VAM-10A documents successive die states from the same die pair, with the die chip developing as the dies fatigued during their production run. The die chip formation — where a small fragment of the die surface breaks away — is a mechanical failure distinct from die cracks or doubling, creating a raised blob on the struck coin rather than a line or shifted image.

External References