1885-S VAM-1

Description

Serving as the baseline die pairing for the 1885-S Morgan Dollar, VAM-1 documents the normal die characteristics against which all other varieties from this date and mint are compared. The reverse carries a medium size IV S mintmark positioned centered and upright, with plate designation 1 III2 1 and die pair C3a referenced to pages 185 and 187 in the Van Allen-Mallis reference. As the standard attribution, VAM-1 represents the most commonly encountered die pairing and anchors the variety spectrum for collectors working through 1885-S Morgan Dollars. The 1885-S is a recognized better date in the series, with a mintage of only 1.497 million pieces — one of the lower-production San Francisco issues commanding premiums across all grades. San Francisco's role in the Morgan Dollar program was substantial, processing western silver from the Comstock Lode and other regional sources. For VAM collectors, acquiring a properly attributed VAM-1 establishes the reference point needed to identify die markers, positional shifts, and other diagnostics that distinguish the remaining 1885-S varieties from the normal die configuration.

External References