1888-P VAM-1E

Description

Originally discovered in 2013, VAM-1E for the 1888 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar was eliminated in January 2019 after researchers determined it was the same die as VAM-16 — a determination that reclassified this entry as a duplicate listing rather than an independent die variety. The original classification was III2 - C3a with the descriptive title "Die Gouges Cotton Bolls," describing rough surface short die gouges at the upper left and lower right outside of the cotton boll on the obverse. When VAM researchers subsequently confirmed that the die markers on VAM-1E matched those of the already-cataloged VAM-16, the variety was consolidated under the earlier designation per standard VAM cataloging protocol, which maintains each unique die pair under a single number and eliminates duplicates to preserve catalog integrity. Eliminated VAMs remain in the reference system rather than being deleted, serving as cross-references that redirect researchers who encounter the old number to the correct current designation. The phenomenon of VAM elimination reflects the ongoing refinement process inherent in die variety research: as more specimens are examined and photographic documentation improves, researchers can confirm or refute the independence of previously cataloged varieties. George T. Morgan's obverse design features cotton bolls as part of Liberty's cap decoration, and the rough surface die gouges at these specific positions initially appeared to distinguish this die from VAM-16. The 1888 Philadelphia Mint produced approximately 12.2 million Morgan Dollars, generating numerous die pairs whose individual characteristics were gradually cataloged over decades of research. This entry stands as a historical record of the cataloging process itself, documenting both the initial identification and the subsequent correction that refined the 1888-P VAM census.

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