1889-S VAM-13

Description

Discovered in 2015 by Brent Fogelberg, the 1889-S VAM-13 is classified under die III2 10·C3a under the title Double Profile, Cap and UNUM. The doubling on this variety is extensively distributed across the obverse: the profile from forehead to chin shows doubling, the Phrygian cap on Liberty's head is doubled, UNUM in the motto is doubled, and stars 3 through 6 show spreading toward the rim — a broad Class III2 hub doubling affecting both portrait and legend elements simultaneously. The die marker for attribution is a vertical die scratch in front of the upper curl on Liberty's forehead, above the hairline — a specific position that anchors the diagnostic marker to a named design element for repeatable identification. The 1889-S Morgan Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint. An R-5 rarity rating would place attributable examples in the 75-to-200 range, though specific population data should be confirmed against current registry sources. Fogelberg's 2015 discovery reflects the continued expansion of the VAM catalog as researchers examine previously unattributed die pairs.

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