1888-P VAM-7C1

Description

Revised in August 2023 by Jonnie Durham from the earlier VAM-7B/7C listings, VAM-7C1 on the 1888 Philadelphia Mint Morgan Dollar documents a late die state featuring a doubled reverse, die chips, and a gouge designated as State 6 in the progressive die deterioration sequence. The reverse die designated C3d shows an added second gouge across the upper tail feathers just above the olive branch, plus a horizontal gouge in the field below the eagle's beak — features that developed as the die accumulated damage through extended production use. The obverse die is designated III2 5, paired with this specific reverse state to create a cataloged die marriage. The sequential staging notation — "Previous stage: VAM 7B2. Next stage: VAM 7C2" — places this variety in a documented deterioration timeline, allowing collectors to arrange specimens chronologically based on the progression of die damage. The 1888-P Morgan Dollar had a mintage of approximately 12.2 million pieces, a moderate figure that reflects the ongoing political and economic debates over silver coinage during the Gilded Age. Morgan Dollars from the late 1880s were struck under the Bland-Allison Act, which required the Treasury to purchase specified quantities of silver for coinage. The VAM system's detailed tracking of die states like the progression from 7B2 through 7C1 to 7C2 provides a granular record of how individual dies deteriorated during their service life — information valued by both numismatic researchers and collectors who appreciate understanding the production history behind each coin they acquire.

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