1879-S VAM-8

Description

Following immediately after VAM-7 in the 1879-S Morgan dollar catalog, VAM-8 documents another early-identified die marriage from San Francisco's second year of Morgan dollar production. The single-digit VAM number confirms this variety was among the earliest cataloged for the date, likely identified during the 1970s when Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis were conducting their pioneering systematic survey of Morgan dollar die varieties. San Francisco produced 9.11 million Morgan dollars in 1879, utilizing multiple pairs of working dies throughout the production year, each developing unique die characteristics through normal service wear. The 1879-S Morgan dollar is notable in the die variety community for its reverse die type variation — some 1879-S dollars were struck with the "Reverse of 1878" while others received the "Reverse of 1879," and the VAM number helps identify which reverse type accompanies each specific die marriage. George T. Morgan's design entered its second year of production in 1879 with the manufacturing process still being refined, as the inaugural 1878 production had revealed challenges in die life and striking quality that the Mint addressed through ongoing adjustments. The heraldic eagle reverse, with its outstretched wings, arrows, and olive branch, provides ample diagnostic zones for die variety attribution, particularly in the wing feather detail and tail feather count. Collectors of early Morgan dollars find the 1879-S date rewarding for VAM hunting due to both the reverse type interest and the healthy surviving population that makes locating specific die marriages feasible.

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