1883-S VAM-10

Description

Added to the VAMWorld die marriage catalog circa 2010, the 1883-S VAM-10 Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 9 – C3a (Doubled Date) with die pairing number 187. The obverse (III2 9) presents comprehensive date doubling across all four digits: the 1 is slightly doubled on the right side of the vertical shaft and top right of the lower crossbar, the left 8 shows doubling at the lower left inside of both loops and the right outside of the lower loop, the right 8 is doubled at the bottom inside of the lower loop, and the 3 shows doubling at the bottom inside of the lower loop. Horizontal polishing lines are visible inside both loops of the left 8 — die maintenance marks that serve as additional attribution diagnostics beyond the doubling itself. The reverse (C3a) is a normal die. The systematic doubling across all four date digits, each showing displacement in slightly different areas based on its geometry relative to the hub displacement vector, provides a comprehensive four-point diagnostic system where collectors can verify the variety by examining each numeral independently. The Morgan Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1883 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. George T. Morgan's design features Liberty in a Phrygian cap on the obverse and a heraldic eagle within a wreath on the reverse. The 1883-S had a mintage of approximately 6.25 million pieces, a moderately low figure that contributes to the date's collectibility. The San Francisco Mint's role in processing western silver into legal tender during the 1880s sustained production at levels that generated the die population within which varieties like VAM-10 emerged. The horizontal polishing lines in the left 8 provide an additional non-doubling diagnostic unique to this working die.

External References