1900-S VAM-18A

Description

Discovered in April 2008 by Unicorn Incognito, the 1900-S VAM-18A is a Morgan dollar variety struck at the San Francisco Mint featuring a Very Near Date with Die Breaks at the E, Hair, and LLA. Classified as III2 10 - C4a (Very Near Date, Die Breaks E, Hair, & LLA), this variety documents progressive die failure at multiple locations on both the obverse and reverse dies. The Morgan dollar is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. San Francisco produced 3,540,000 Morgan dollars in 1900, a relatively lower mintage that contributes to the 1900-S being somewhat scarcer than average for the series. The obverse die, classified as III2 10, displays multiple die cracks: one running through the tops of left stars 5 through 7, then continuing through the E and P, with a break developing at the top left of the E. A second die crack runs through the bottom of the hair with a break at the lower rear of the hair. These progressive die cracks and breaks indicate the obverse die was deteriorating significantly and approaching the end of its useful life. The "Very Near Date" designation indicates the date is positioned further left than normal, closer to Liberty's bust. The reverse die, designated C4a, shows die chips on the lower right serifs of the E in ONE and on the letters LLA in DOLLAR. The pseudonymous discoverer "Unicorn Incognito" contributed this variety to the VAMWorld database, reflecting the online community's role in modern variety documentation. The multiple die break locations across both dies suggest this die pair was used extensively before being retired, leaving a distinctive late-die-state appearance on surviving specimens.

External References