1901-S VAM-7

Description

Martin Field discovered this Morgan Dollar variety in May 1979, identifying a remarkable die anomaly: an extra olive appears to the right of the normal olive that is connected to the branch on the reverse. Classified as III2 1 - C4/C3c with die pairing number 189, the dual reverse classification (C4/C3c) reflects the unusual nature of this variety — the additional olive element goes beyond normal hub doubling or die polishing and represents either a significant die defect or an engraving anomaly. The "2 Olive Reverse" designation makes this one of the more visually distinctive VAM varieties in the series, as an entire additional design element rather than a subtle positional shift defines the attribution. The mint mark is set high and upright, providing a secondary diagnostic. San Francisco struck approximately 2.28 million Morgan Dollars in 1901, a low mintage that makes the 1901-S a better date in the series and adds collector premium to any attributed variety. Field's 1979 discovery occurred during the formative years of systematic VAM cataloging, when foundational varieties were being documented across the entire Morgan Dollar date-and-mint range. The extra olive feature raises interesting questions about its origin — whether it resulted from a double strike of the olive detail during die preparation, a die repair that added material rather than removing it, or some other production anomaly at the San Francisco facility. Regardless of mechanism, the visual presence of an extra olive on the reverse makes VAM-7 one of the more accessible varieties for attribution, as the additional device can be identified without extreme magnification.

External References