1883-S VAM-19

Description

Discovered by Brent Fogelberg in February 2023, the 1883-S VAM-19 "Doubled 18-3" Morgan dollar records doubling on the obverse date digits with a notable reverse die marker. Cataloged as III2 5 · C3h (Doubled 18-3) with a question mark notation suggesting the doubling classification may require further confirmation, this variety pairs an Obverse III2 5 die with Reverse C3h — a reverse that features an S mintmark centered and upright with re-engraved wreath leaves opposite the N in ONE and the U in UNITED. George T. Morgan's silver dollar design, featuring his Liberty head on the obverse and heraldic eagle within a wreath on the reverse, served as the canvas for what has become the most extensively cataloged die variety system in American numismatics. San Francisco struck approximately 6.25 million Morgan dollars in 1883, a relatively modest mintage that places this date among the scarcer S-mint issues of the early 1880s. The "Doubled 18-3" designation identifies the digits 1, 8, and 3 in the date 1883 as showing evidence of doubled or re-punched impressions — the date was hand-punched into each working die using individual numeral punches, and slight repositioning between strikes could produce doubled contours on any of the four date digits. The re-engraved wreath leaves on the reverse opposite N in ONE and U in UNITED indicate deliberate reworking of the die surface by a Mint engraver, adding design detail that had worn or been imperfectly transferred during the hubbing process. A commentary note records that this variety shares the same dies as 1883-O VAM-6, revealing that the obverse die was used at both the New Orleans and San Francisco facilities — a practice known as die sharing that occasionally occurred between branch mints. Brent Fogelberg's 2023 discovery demonstrates that new Morgan dollar VAMs continue to be identified over 140 years after the coins were struck, even on dates that have received decades of collector scrutiny.

External References