1901-S VAM-12

Description

Discovered in October 2008 by Brent Fogelberg, the 1901-S VAM-12 "Doubled Right 1" Morgan dollar documents subtle doubling on the rightmost numeral 1 in the date — specifically visible at the top left and right of the bottom crossbar. Cataloged as 12 III2 5 · C4a (Doubled Right 1) with die number 189, this variety pairs Obverse III2 5 with Reverse C4a. George T. Morgan's silver dollar design saw limited production at San Francisco in 1901, with a mintage of only approximately 2.28 million coins, establishing the 1901-S as one of the most significant semi-key dates in the Morgan series. The modest production figure means that any variety documented for this date exists within a constrained total population, potentially elevating the scarcity of individual die pairings beyond what their diagnostic subtlety might suggest. The doubled right 1 — showing at the top left and right of the bottom crossbar — indicates the secondary hub impression displaced the lower portion of the numeral, creating detectable echoes of the crossbar's endpoints that deviate from the primary impression. Brent Fogelberg's October 2008 discovery added this die marriage to the catalog during a productive period of Morgan dollar VAM research that significantly expanded documentation for San Francisco mint dates. The Obverse III2 5 classification identifies the specific hub type and die number, distinguishing this obverse from other working dies in the 1901-S production run. Neither DPIS entries nor emission sequence data have been recorded, leaving the production chronology and die pairing history for VAM-12 as open research questions. Collectors should examine the rightmost 1 under at least 15x magnification, focusing on the lower crossbar area where the doubling appears as subtle secondary lines at the bar's terminal points.

External References