1892-S VAM-5

Description

Identified by Steve Sabella in November 1980, this San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollar variety carries a repunched mintmark designated "S/S Right" — the S mintmark was punched at least twice with the initial impression displaced to the right of the final position. Classified as VAM-5 III2 1 C3c, the reverse die shows the S mintmark doubled as a curved line in the upper loop, with an additional line to the lower right outside the upper serif and a further line to the right of the bottom lower serif. These multiple traces of the initial punch provide clear diagnostics under magnification, as each line represents a remnant of the first S impression partially obscured but not eliminated by the corrective punch. The 1892-S Morgan Dollar is a semi-key date with a mintage of just over 1.2 million — substantially lower than many other dates — giving any attributed variety additional collector appeal. Steve Sabella was among the notable early VAM researchers whose work during the late 1970s and 1980s expanded the catalog significantly. San Francisco's mintmark application relied entirely on hand-punching, ensuring repunched mintmarks remained a regular occurrence. =1892-S VAM-5 S/S Right= Discovered by Steve Sabella, November 1980.

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