Messier 86

Possibly discovered by Johann Gottfried Koehler on May 5, 1779.
Discovered independently by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781.

Messier: M86.

March 18, 1781. 86. 12h 15m 05s (183d 46' 21") +14d 09' 52"
"Nebula without star, in Virgo, on the parallel & very near to the nebula above, No. 84: their appearances are the same, & both appear together in the same field of the telescope."

Koehler:

[Mr. Koehler has discovered], on May 5, [1779], again three other somewhat nebulous stars in the area of the northern shoulder of Virgo, at quite a distance of each other.
[Wolfgang Steinicke speculates these may be M84, M86, and M87]

William Herschel

[Unpublished Observations of Messier's Nebulae and Clusters. Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 659]
1784, Apr. 8 (Sw. 187). Two resolvable nebulae at 4' or 5' distance. (*)
[(*) Dreyer's note: In the sweep they are 3.0m p. [W] and 1d 16' s [S] of M88. They are therefore II.121 and 122 [NGCs 4458 and 4461). H. [W. Herschel] took them for M. 86 and another which he called I.28. The comparison of I.28 with 34 Virginis was not made in this sweep but in Sw. 199.]
1784, April 17 (Sw. 199). Two B. cL. nebulae. One is the 86th of the Connoiss., the other is I.28.

John Herschel (1833): h 1253.

h 1253 = M86.
Sweep 22 (March 13, 1826)
RA 12h 18m 57.9s::, NPD 75d 60' 1" (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
The preceding of 2
[the following is H I.28 = NGC 4435-8]

Sweep 338 (April 4, 1831)
RA 12h 18m 62.4s, NPD 75d 58' 19" (1830.0)
No description.

Sweep 242 (March 23, 1830)
RA 12h 18m 62.6s, NPD 75d 59' 24" (1830.0)
v B; R; 30"
Very bright; round; 30" [diameter].

Smyth

[from the description of M88]
[has it in a chart]
.. "in the immediate nebulous neighborhood" of 88 Messier ..

John Herschel, General Catalogue: GC 2961.

GC 2961 = h 1253 = M86.
RA 12h 19m 0.2s, NPD 76d 17' 9.4" (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
vB; L; R; gbMN; r. 3 observations by W. & J. Herschel.
Very bright; large; round; gradually brighter toward the middle where there is a nucleus; mottled.
Remark: The nebula of Lord Rosse 14' sp this is no doubt [H] II.168 [NGC 4388].

Dreyer: NGC 4406.

NGC 4406 = GC 2961 = h 1253; M 86.
RA 12h 19m 6s, NPD 76d 16.7' (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
vB, L, R, gbMN, r; = M86
Very bright, large, round, gradually brighter toward the middle where there is a nucleus, mottled.

Curtis

[Descriptions of 762 Nebulae and Clusters photographed with the Crossley Reflector. Publ. Lick Obs., No. 13, Part I, p. 9-42]
NGC 4406, RA=12:21.0, Dec=+13:46. Slightly oval, 2' long; bright center, which is not stellar in short exposures; no spiral structure discernible. 5 s.n.