1881-S VAM-37

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in March 1981 and classified as 37 III2 14 - C3p (186), this 1881 San Francisco Morgan Dollar is designated Doubled 18-1 with S Tilted Left. The obverse die (III2 14) shows doubling on multiple date digits: the first 1 is doubled slightly at the top right of the shaft and at the top left and right of the bottom crossbar, the first 8 is doubled slightly at the top inside and strongly at the bottom outside of the lower loop with a spike at the left inside of the upper loop, and the second 1 is doubled slightly at the lower left side of the vertical shaft. The strong doubling at the bottom outside of the first 8's lower loop is the most prominent diagnostic feature. The reverse die (C3p) carries a medium mintmark centered and tilted slightly left. The emission sequence for this reverse die is VAM-37 followed by VAM-5, confirming that the exact same reverse die was later paired with a different obverse to create the VAM-5 die marriage. The 1881-S is one of the most available Morgan Dollar dates in gem condition, making it a popular starting point for collectors building comprehensive VAM sets.

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