1885-S VAM-3

Description

Discovered by George Mallis in June 1965, the 1885-S VAM-3 "Doubled 8" Morgan dollar represents one of the earliest variety attributions made by the co-founder of the VAM classification system itself. Cataloged as 3 III2 3 · C3a (Doubled 8), this variety shows the second 8 in the 1885 date doubled faintly at the top, with the lower loop doubled on the top left — a date-punching anomaly that reveals the engraver repositioned the 8 punch slightly between impressions when sinking the date into the obverse working die. George T. Morgan's Liberty Head design, with its Phrygian-capped portrait surrounded by a wreath of cotton and wheat, carried the date in the lower obverse field where such punching irregularities are most visible. San Francisco struck approximately 1.5 million Morgan dollars in 1885, a modest mintage that places the date among the better S-mint issues in terms of scarcity. The III2 obverse die classification with numeral 3 indicates this is the third documented obverse die pairing in the III2 subgroup, while the C3a reverse provides the standard companion die for this marriage. Doubled date digits on Morgan dollars resulted from the hand-punching technique used throughout the series' production life: each working die received its date from individual numeral punches applied by a die sinker, and any misalignment between successive blows created doubled or repunched numerals. The DPIS (Die Pair Identification System) entry remains unlisted, and emission sequence data for both obverse and reverse dies has not yet been established. Collectors should examine the second 8 in the date under 15-20x magnification, focusing on the top curve and the upper-left area of the lower loop for the faint secondary impression.

External References