1881-S VAM-38

Description

One of the earliest documented VAM varieties for the 1881-S Morgan Dollar, VAM-38 was discovered by Leroy Van Allen himself in April 1981 — a century after the coins were struck. The defining feature is a spike at the top left inside of the upper loop on both 8 digits in the date, a die anomaly where small raised protrusions extend from the numeral curves. These spikes, combined with doubling on both 8s, create a distinctive date profile. The high S mintmark position provides an additional sorting criterion. Die-linkage research confirms the obverse was shared across three varieties: VAM-9, VAM-10, and VAM-38, meaning this obverse die was paired with at least three different reverse dies during its working life. Catalog notes indicate that the cap doubling — a hub doubling type where the secondary impression appears as a raised shelf on design elements — is very weak on this variety, requiring careful examination. San Francisco struck 12,760,000 Morgan Dollars in 1881, and Van Allen's personal discovery connects this variety to the foundational research that established the VAM classification system. 38 III2 6 - C3o (Doubled and Spiked 8's, High S) (186) Obverse III2 6– Both 8's have short die chip spike at top left inside of upper loop.

External References