1894-S VAM-7

Description

Reported in 2009, the 1894-S VAM-7 "Doubled Profile" identifies a San Francisco Morgan Dollar obverse die displaying slight doubling on Liberty's profile — specifically the nose, lips, and chin. Under the Van Allen-Mallis classification, this variety carries designation III2-4 with reverse die C3a. The rarity rating remains undetermined (?), indicating insufficient census data to assign a population bracket. Profile doubling results from a secondary hub impression that shifts slightly during die-sinking, creating a faint doubled contour along the facial features. Morgan's highly detailed Liberty portrait provides enough relief for even subtle hub misalignment to produce visible doubling along these contours. The 1894-S is widely recognized as a better-date Morgan Dollar, with a mintage of only 1.26 million coins — significantly lower than most Philadelphia issues of the era. This scarcity enhances collector interest in attributed VAMs, as each variety represents a smaller potential population within an already limited production run. Examine the profile under magnification, focusing on the bridge of the nose, the lip line, and the chin contour for the slight doubled outline.

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