1888-S VAM-16

Description

Originally cataloged as VAM-16 "S/S Curved Line" for the 1888-S Morgan dollar, this variety was eliminated in July 2022 as a duplicate of VAM-11 — a reclassification that illustrates the ongoing refinement process within the VAM cataloging system. The original listing described an Obverse III2 1 paired with a Reverse C3a, featuring what was identified as an S/S (repunched mintmark) with a curved line diagnostic. A die marker noted for this die was a diagonal die scratch in the middle of the eagle's right wing on the reverse. San Francisco struck approximately 657,000 Morgan dollars in 1888, one of the lower S-mint Morgan dollar mintages that makes this a semi-key date commanding premiums in all grades. The elimination determination — finding that VAM-16 and VAM-11 described the same physical die pair — reflects the methodical review process that VAM researchers conduct as more specimens become available for comparison and as photographic documentation improves with modern digital imaging. When two VAM numbers prove to describe the same die marriage, the higher number is typically eliminated and redirected to the earlier listing, preserving catalog continuity while reducing redundancy. The discovery date for VAM-16 is recorded with a question mark, suggesting uncertainty about when the variety was originally identified. The reverse classification C3e noted in the original listing differs from the standard C3a, but this distinction became moot upon elimination. Collectors who previously attributed their 1888-S Morgan dollars as VAM-16 should reconsider the attribution under the VAM-11 designation, comparing their specimens against the current VAM-11 diagnostic criteria. The diagonal die scratch in the eagle's right wing, if present, serves as a useful secondary confirmation point for the surviving VAM-11 attribution.

External References