1902-S VAM-8

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in March 1981, this 1902-S Morgan Dollar variety — cataloged as VAM-8 under classification III2 5 / C4-C3b with Rarity-(189) — combines a slightly doubled profile on the obverse with an extra olive on the reverse branch. The obverse die (III2 5) presents a subtle doubling of Liberty's profile, less pronounced than some Morgan Dollar doubled portrait varieties but diagnostically significant under magnification. The reverse die (C4/C3b) carries an extra olive positioned to the right of the normal olive on the branch, a feature created when the reverse hub impressed a secondary olive image during die preparation. The San Francisco Mint struck Morgan Dollars from 1878 through 1904, and S-mint Morgans are generally well-regarded for their strike quality compared to New Orleans and some Philadelphia issues. The 1902-S had a mintage of 1,530,000 pieces — relatively modest by Morgan Dollar standards — making it a scarcer date in the series. Martin Field was a prolific VAM researcher whose discoveries contributed significantly to the catalog during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and his work on S-mint varieties helped document die marriages from this lower-mintage branch facility.

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