1896-S VAM-5

Description

Discovered by Bill Fivaz in December 1976, the 1896-S VAM-5 Morgan Dollar holds the distinction of being a Hot 50 Morgan VAM — a designation reserved for the fifty most significant and sought-after varieties in the entire Morgan Dollar VAM catalog, as determined by collector consensus and market demand. Classified as III2 1 – C3c (S/S Right and Up) with die pairing number 188, the reverse (C3c) features a type IV S mintmark that was repunched with the original impression showing as a spike above the top loop, a vertical serif to the top right of the top serif, a curved arc to the right of the lower loop, and a vertical serif within the loop opening. This array of remnant impression elements from the first S punch provides multiple diagnostic checkpoints that collectively confirm the repunched mintmark variety with high confidence. The 1896-S Morgan Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. George T. Morgan's design features Liberty in a Phrygian cap on the obverse and a heraldic eagle within a wreath on the reverse. The 1896-S had a mintage of approximately 5.0 million pieces, a moderate figure for the series. The Hot 50 designation places VAM-5 among the elite tier of Morgan Dollar varieties, alongside famous entries like the 1888-O "Hot Lips" and the 1900-O/CC mintmark, confirming it as a variety that commands premium prices and sustained collector interest. VAMWorld catalogs this variety with documentation from Bill Fivaz, a co-author of the Cherrypickers' Guide whose contributions to variety numismatics have been foundational.

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