1887-S VAM-3

Description

Traced back to Leonard Hinckley's February 1974 discovery and revised in 2014, VAM-3 of the 1887-S Morgan Dollar is cataloged as 3 III2 2 · C3a and recognized for its slanted date with a doubled 7. The doubling appears at the bottom of the crossbar on the 7, providing the defining diagnostic. Both 8's carry die chips between their loops on the left side. The date sits high overall, with the 7 positioned further from the rim than the 1 — creating the slant that gives this variety its name, though the high date is the more immediately noticeable feature. A die scratch at the top of the eagle's right wing serves as the primary reverse die marker. An important attribution note: VAM-3, VAM-8, and VAM-23 were all produced using the exact same reverse die, meaning reverse characteristics alone cannot distinguish among these three die marriages. Obverse die markers and date positioning must drive the final attribution. The San Francisco Mint struck just over 1.7 million Morgan Dollars in 1887, a modest output that keeps the date accessible while supporting meaningful variety collecting. =1887-S VAM-3 Slanted Date, Doubled 7= Discovered by Leonard Hinckley, February 1974.

External References