1883-S VAM-9

Description

Discovered by C. Logan McKechnie in February 2009, the 1883-S VAM-9 Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 8 - C3a (Doubled 18-3) with die pairing number 187. The obverse (III2 8) exhibits doubling across multiple date digits: the 1 is doubled on the surface at the left and right of the vertical shaft, the left 8 is doubled on the surface at the left and right outside of the upper loop and the left inside and right outside of the lower loop, and the 3 is slightly doubled at the bottom inside of the lower loop. This comprehensive date doubling — affecting three of the four digits with varying degrees of displacement at multiple specific points on each digit — creates a complex diagnostic fingerprint that requires careful comparison to reference images for confident attribution. The reverse (C3a) is classified as a normal die with no significant anomalies. The San Francisco Mint struck the 1883-S Morgan Dollar in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. George T. Morgan's obverse features Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap adorned with wheat and cotton, while the heraldic eagle reverse displays an eagle with outstretched wings clutching arrows and an olive branch. The 1883-S had a mintage of approximately 6.25 million pieces, a relatively modest production figure for the series. McKechnie's discovery of this three-digit doubling pattern demonstrates the level of detailed die examination required to catalog new VAM varieties decades after the coins were struck, with each digit's specific doubling characteristics mapped at the loop and crossbar level for precise attribution.

External References