1888-S VAM-1

Description

Cataloged as 1 III2 1 · C3a (Normal Die) with die number 186, the 1888-S VAM-1 Morgan dollar establishes the baseline normal die reference for this San Francisco issue of George T. Morgan's silver dollar design. The Obverse III2 1 designation identifies a standard die of the III2 obverse type, while the Reverse C3a describes a normal C3-type reverse carrying a medium size IV S mintmark that is centered and upright beneath the eagle's tail feathers. San Francisco produced approximately 657,000 Morgan dollars in 1888, one of the lowest mintages in the entire series and a date that commands substantial premiums in all grades — particularly in uncirculated condition where the 1888-S is considered a major key date. The scarcity of the issue means that even the VAM-1 normal die pairing represents a coin of significant numismatic value, and establishing the baseline die characteristics for this date serves the important catalog function of providing a reference against which any unusual die features on other 1888-S specimens can be measured. The medium IV S mintmark classification describes a specific size and style of the S letter punch — the "IV" indicating the fourth identified S mintmark punch type used at San Francisco during the Morgan dollar era — that was centered and positioned vertically beneath the eagle's tail feathers without the tilt or positional displacement that characterizes many other VAM attributions. Normal die VAMs may lack the dramatic diagnostic appeal of doubled dies or repunched mintmarks, but they constitute essential infrastructure within the VAM system by documenting every known die pairing for each date-mint combination. DPIS entries and emission sequence data for both dies await further documentation from ongoing research.

External References