1921-S VAM-11A

Description

Discovered by Bill Van Note in January 2005, the 1921-S VAM-11A Morgan Dollar carries the designation IV 8 - D2f (Tripled Left Stars, Doubled Date, Right Stars & Right Reverse, Polished Obverse & Reverse) with die pairing number 189. This variety is remarkable for the extensive scope of its anomalies spanning both die faces: the obverse (IV 8) exhibits tripled left stars and doubled date and right stars — indicating multiple hub impressions affected star positions across the entire obverse periphery — while the die surfaces on both sides have been polished in the fields in an attempt to remove die cracks, a maintenance intervention that left characteristic polishing lines as artifacts of the repair effort. The obverse polishing targeted the left and right fields, while the reverse (D2f) was polished around NITED in an attempt to remove die cracks — documenting that the die pair had developed structural failures severe enough to warrant field polishing, a procedure where Mint technicians hand-filed or polished the die surface to smooth out crack lines and extend the die's usable life. The 1921-S Morgan Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint during the final year of the Morgan Dollar series, before being replaced by the Peace Dollar later that year. George T. Morgan's design was struck in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The combination of star tripling, date doubling, and evidence of die maintenance polishing on both faces creates a variety that documents not just the hubbing anomaly but also the subsequent die management decisions made by San Francisco Mint personnel as they attempted to extend the working life of a die pair showing progressive structural deterioration.

External References