1887-S VAM-5

Description

Discovered by Jim Baxter in January 1975, VAM-5 of the 1887-S Morgan dollar is designated III2 4 C3a as Near Date. The obverse features a date set further left than normal, qualifying it as a near date variety, with die chips visible between the loops of the first 8 on the left side. The reverse is a normal C3a type. Researcher RonH270 has noted that the reverse die of VAM-5 appears to be shared with the reverses of 1887-S VAM-7 and 1887-S VAM-16, creating a three-variety die-linkage chain. This shared-reverse relationship is significant because VAM-5 has a near date while VAM-16 has a normal date, showing how the same reverse die was paired with obverse dies of different date positions during the production run. Identifying shared reverse dies helps reconstruct emission sequences at the San Francisco Mint. The near date position is the primary visual clue for narrowing attribution to VAM-5, with the die chips between the loops of the first 8 serving as a confirmatory marker. Jim Baxter's discovery over five decades ago established this variety within the early VAM catalog.

External References