1894-S VAM-2

Description

Discovered by George Mallis in June 1965, the 1894-S VAM-2 carries special significance because Mallis is co-author — alongside Leroy Van Allen — of the comprehensive VAM reference that gave the entire attribution system its name. Cataloged as 2 III2 1 with classification C3b (S Tilted Right and Set Right), this variety's obverse is a normal die, placing all diagnostic interest on the reverse. The S mintmark is set right of its standard position and tilted slightly right, with doubling visible at the left inside the upper loop — indicating the punch was applied more than once with slight positional variation. Mintmark placement varieties are fundamental to Morgan Dollar attribution because each branch mint hand-punched its mintmark into individual working dies, creating inevitable positional differences distinguishing one die from another. The 1894-S Morgan Dollar was produced at San Francisco during the final years of the series' initial run before the long hiatus from 1905 to 1921. That Mallis himself identified this variety underscores how the founders of the VAM system built the catalog through hands-on examination of individual die marriages.

External References