1879-S VAM-1H

Description

Discovered in 2013, the 1879-S VAM-1H documents vertical polishing lines on the reverse of this San Francisco Morgan Dollar — a die maintenance artifact revealing how Mint workers attempted to extend die life by polishing away clash marks or surface imperfections. The polishing lines appear around the eagle and to the left of the wreath, with a particularly heavy band visible on the right side of the eagle. Classified as I-2 R-5 in the VAM rarity scale, I-2 indicates intermediate interest while R-5 denotes 31 to 75 estimated surviving examples — a genuinely scarce variety. Die polishing was routine maintenance, but aggressive polishing left directional striations that transferred as raised lines on struck coins. The vertical orientation indicates the polishing tool was applied in up-and-down strokes across the eagle and wreath. The 1879-S was struck at San Francisco during the second year of the Morgan Dollar series, produced in 90% silver at 38.1mm and 26.73 grams. George T. Morgan's Liberty Head design was still in its earliest production years. Examine the reverse around the eagle and left wreath for vertical raised lines, with attention to the heavy band at right.

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