1890-S VAM-10B

Description

Originally designated VAM-10B with the descriptive title "Far Date, Die Break Top Left Wreath," this 1890-S Morgan dollar variety was discovered by Michael Best in December 2004 and subsequently reclassified — it was eliminated from standalone status and absorbed into VAM-19A. The obverse carries a Class III doubled profile (III2 3), with very slight doubling visible on the Liberty head profile running from the nose down to the chin, a subtle displacement that requires careful magnification and angled lighting to detect against the high-relief portrait. On the reverse, designated C3a, a prominent die break appears in the left wreath opposite the I in UNITED — a progressive die failure where metal cracking through the die face produces a raised irregular mass on struck coins that connects portions of the wreath to adjacent field areas. The 1890-S carries a mintage of 8,230,373 pieces from the San Francisco Mint, placing it among the moderately available Morgan dollar dates, though specific die pairings like VAM-10B/19A are substantially scarcer than the overall population suggests. The reclassification from VAM-10B to VAM-19A — an "eliminated, became" status — reflects the VAMWorld community's ongoing effort to consolidate die varieties that share die pairings or represent die stages of previously cataloged entries, preventing duplication in the reference system.

External References