1880-S VAM-37A

Description

Michael Ash discovered this San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollar variety in March 2006, documenting a die break on the obverse that defines the "A" suffix to the parent VAM-37 listing. Cataloged as VAM-37A with classification III2 25 - C3a (Doubled 80, Die Break Cap Rear) and die pairing 188, the obverse die shows a doubled 80 in the date alongside a die break at the rear of the Phrygian cap below the ribbon on Liberty's head. The reverse carries a medium Type IV S mintmark in the normal C3a die configuration. Die breaks of this nature form when cumulative striking pressure creates fatigue fractures in the hardened steel die, and the area behind Liberty's cap — where the die surface transitions between design elements and the rim — experiences concentrated stress that can initiate cracking. The 1880 San Francisco Morgan Dollar had a mintage of approximately 8.9 million coins, struck during the height of Comstock Lode silver production when Nevada silver flowed to the San Francisco Mint for coinage under federal purchase mandates. The doubled 80 in the date indicates the date logotype was punched into the working die twice at slightly different positions, creating visible separation on both final digits. Combined with the progressive die break at the cap, VAM-37A documents two distinct categories of die anomaly — manufacturing and deterioration — converging on a single obverse die.

External References