1883-S VAM-15

Description

A recent discovery attributed in April 2022 by Brent Fogelberg and John Baumgart, the 1883-S VAM-15 Morgan Dollar exhibits doubled digits at the 1 and 3 positions in the date. Cataloged as II211 C3a, the doubling appears at the bottom of the upper crossbar of the 1 and slightly at the bottom inside the lower loop of the 3. The San Francisco mintmark is centered and upright. That a new VAM variety for an 1883-S Morgan Dollar could be discovered as recently as 2022 — nearly 140 years after the coins were struck — speaks to the depth of the Morgan Dollar die variety field and the continued vigilance of researchers examining coins that have passed through countless hands. The 1883-S is one of the scarcer San Francisco Morgan dates in higher grades, though circulated examples are readily obtainable. San Francisco processed enormous quantities of Comstock Lode and western silver during this period, and the Mint's production runs generated numerous die pairs, each carrying the potential for hub doubling during the die manufacturing process. VAM-15 adds to the growing census of 1883-S die varieties that continues to expand with modern attribution techniques.

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