1897-S VAM-12

Description

Classified as III2 5 C3b (187) and cataloged in 2010, this 1897 San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollar exhibits multiple positional anomalies: a doubled 1, a tilted 7, and a date placed much further left than normal with the S mintmark tilted right. The 1 shows doubling at the top on the surface, while the 7 tilts to the left — two characteristics indicating complex hub positioning during die preparation. The very near date placement, significantly leftward from standard, makes this variety identifiable before doubling and tilt are examined under magnification. The rightward tilt of the S mintmark adds a reverse attribution point, as hand-punched mintmarks of this era frequently show angular variation. The 1897-S is among the better-date San Francisco issues, struck in more limited quantity. The combination of four distinct features — doubled digit, tilted digit, shifted date position, and tilted mintmark — makes VAM-12 one of the more readily attributable varieties for this date, offering collectors multiple independent confirmation points.

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