1878-CC Morgan Dollar VAM-11 "Lines in Wing": How to Identify It

The 1878-CC VAM-11 is a Top 100 Morgan VAM that Clarence Brown discovered in February 1966. NGC recognizes it.

What makes it different

The reverse die is covered in deep gouges, which makes this one of the most visually distinctive Carson City varieties. The best-known pickup is a Z-shaped gouge in the lower wings on the left side as you look at the coin.

How to identify it

• Reverse: heavy lines at the bottom of the eagle's right wing and in the middle of the left wing. The CC mint mark sits at medium height, slightly tilted right. Gouges crisscross the other wing, with a cluster in the top third.

• Obverse: a normal 1878 P Type II die with a broken point off the fourth star on the right. This is a hub defect.

Background on the date

The 1878-CC mintage was 2,212,000. More die pairs were used for this date than for any other CC Morgan year, with 14 obverse and 16 reverse dies. Both long and short nock reverses exist, and prooflike coins are readily available.

What buyers and collectors should know

Buyers should look at the wings first. The Z-shaped gouge is the signature, and the gouges are easy to confirm with a loupe even on worn coins. Collectors value it because the reverse damage creates a fingerprint that is hard to confuse with other 1878-CC dies.

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