1880-S VAM-1

Description

Designated VAM-1 as the base listing for the 1880-S Morgan Dollar, this entry describes normal dies with a medium S mintmark, classified as 1 III2 1 C3a. Discovered by Howard Newcomb in February 1913, it represents one of the earliest documented die variety attributions in Morgan Dollar research. The obverse is a normal die of the III2 type and the reverse is a normal die of the C3 type with a medium size IV S mintmark. Importantly, VAM-1 and VAM-2 are very generic listings intended more for die classification than identification of a specific die pair. The VAM-1 designation describes a coin with normal dies and may refer to multiple die pairs, or in some interpretations may not correspond to a single identifiable die pair at all. These catalog notes are significant context for researchers — VAM-1 serves as the baseline classification against which all other 1880-S varieties are distinguished rather than representing a collectible variety in its own right. The 1880-S is one of the most common Morgan Dollar dates, struck in large quantities at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver composition.

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