1888-P VAM-9

Description

Discovered by Oscar Simpson in April 1977, the 1888-P VAM-9 Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 7 - C3a (High Date) with die pairing number 190. The obverse (III2 7) features a date set higher than its normal position — meaning the date digits sit closer to the bust truncation and further from the denticles than on standard 1888-P dies. A community note clarifies that while the date is positioned at the left edge of the normal range, it should not be confused with the 1888-P VAM-2, which displays a clearly near date placement. An additional observation not included in the formal description notes that the date also exhibits a slant, with the 1 positioned farther from the rim than the final 8, adding a subtle tilt to the high date positioning. The reverse (C3a) is classified as a normal die. George T. Morgan's design features Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap adorned with agricultural elements on the obverse, with the reverse displaying a heraldic eagle holding arrows and an olive branch beneath the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1888, the coin is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. Date position varieties on Morgan Dollars are particularly studied because the date was applied to each working die individually through a hand-punch process, creating measurable differences in vertical position, horizontal placement, and tilt angle across the die population. The 1888-P had a mintage of approximately 12.2 million pieces. Oscar Simpson's 1977 discovery places this among the earlier-documented positional varieties in the VAM catalog, predating the explosion of VAM collecting interest that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s.

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