1890-S VAM-9

Description

Jointly attributed through discoveries by Leonard Hinckley in February 1974 (obverse) and Charles Wallace in April 1970 (reverse), this 1890-S Morgan Dollar is cataloged as 9 III2 3 – C3h (Far Date, S Set High). The obverse (III2 3) features a date set much further right than normal — officially described as a Far Date, though as noted by researchers this actually qualifies as a Very Far Date given the extreme rightward displacement. The reverse (C3h) shows the S mintmark set very close to the wreath and tilted slightly to the left, creating a mintmark position that is higher and tighter to the wreath than standard placement. The dual-discoverer history spanning four years between the reverse and obverse attributions reflects the incremental nature of early VAM research, when individual die characteristics were often identified and published independently before being united into complete die pair listings. San Francisco Morgan Dollars from 1890 circulated extensively in Western commerce, and the Very Far Date combined with the high, tilted S makes VAM-9 identifiable through straightforward visual examination. =1890-S VAM-9 (Very) Far Date, S Set High= Discovered by Leonard Hinckley, February 1974. Reverse discovered by Charles Wallace, April 1970.

External References