1885-S VAM-5

Description

1885-S VAM-5 Far Date Discovered by Edwin Miller, January 1970 — one of the earliest documented VAM varieties, established during the foundational period of systematic Morgan Dollar die research. Die pair: 5 III2-5 - C3a (Far Date) (187) Obverse III2-5: Date set further right than the normal lateral position, creating a wider gap between the date digits and the rim than typically seen on 1885-S dies. The "far date" designation indicates a measurable displacement in the date logotype placement during die preparation. Reverse C3a: Standard die pairing. Note: VAM-5 and VAM-10 share the exact same reverse die — these two obverse dies were paired with a common reverse during production, a relationship that helps researchers reconstruct die usage sequences at the San Francisco Mint. San Francisco Mint production. Date position varieties are a fundamental collecting category for Morgan Dollars, as the hand-punched date logotype was positioned independently on each working die, producing measurable variations in placement across the production run.

External References