1892-S VAM-6

Description

Discovered by Bill Kassebaum in August 1981, the 1892-S VAM-6 documents a mintmark positioning variety on this San Francisco Morgan Dollar — the S mintmark is set noticeably high relative to the eagle's tail feathers, with a slight tilt to the right. Designated as VAM-6 with classification III2 1 and reverse die C3d, the variety's defining characteristic is entirely on the reverse where the hand-punched mintmark sits above its intended position. During this era, mintmarks were individually punched into each working die by hand, and variations in placement, angle, and depth were inevitable. The high-set S with its rightward tilt on the 1892-S issue represents one of many mintmark position variants documented across the Morgan Dollar series, though the distinctiveness of this placement made it identifiable enough for Kassebaum to formally catalog. The 1892 date falls in the later Morgan Dollar production era — George T. Morgan's Liberty Head design was in its fifteenth year, and San Francisco operations continued producing silver dollars from Comstock Lode silver. Struck in 90% silver at 38.1mm and 26.73 grams. Examine the S mintmark position relative to the eagle's tail for the characteristic high placement and slight rightward tilt that define this die marriage.

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