1884-S VAM-2

Description

Discovered by Charles Wallace in April 1970, the 1884-S VAM-2 Morgan Dollar is designated as an S Tilted Right mintmark variety under classification code 2 III2 1 - C3b (187). The reverse die C3b represents a normal die of the C3 type carrying a Type IV S mintmark that is shifted left of center and tilted to the right — a positioning anomaly resulting from the hand-punch process used to apply mintmarks to individual working dies at the San Francisco Mint. The DPIS (Die Progression Identification System) data shows RE3/LE5, providing researchers with eagle feather counts that help track specific reverse dies across multiple VAM pairings. The emission sequence records three obverse die pairings — 4B, 21, and 2 — indicating this reverse die was used in combination with multiple obverse dies during the production run, a common practice where dies were mixed and matched as individual dies wore out at different rates. San Francisco struck just over 3.2 million Morgan Dollars in 1884, a relatively low mintage that contributes to the date's collectibility across all grades. The 1884-S is known among Morgan specialists for frequently exhibiting weak strikes, particularly on the eagle's breast feathers, and VAM-2 specimens should be examined for strike quality in addition to the mintmark positioning that defines the variety. Charles Wallace's early documentation of this variety predates the formal VAM reference publication, establishing him as a foundational contributor to the cataloging system.

External References