1888-S VAM-1D

Description

Featuring over-polished reverse die fields with missing feathers in the middle of both wings and beveled field surfaces around the eagle and wreaths, this VAM-1D variety of the 1888 San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollar documents an aggressive die maintenance event. The over-polishing occurred when Mint personnel ground down the die surface to remove clash marks or other damage, inadvertently removing fine design detail from the eagle's wing feathers and creating an unnaturally smooth, beveled transition between the design elements and the surrounding field. Classified as reverse C3a under obverse die III2 number 1, the "D" suffix indicates this is the fourth known die state or die pairing for VAM-1 of this date. The 1888-S Morgan Dollar has a mintage of 657,000 pieces, one of the lower San Francisco mintages in the Morgan series, making all varieties from this date relatively scarce in terms of surviving population. The San Francisco Mint, established during the California Gold Rush in 1854, maintained rigorous production standards, but even careful die maintenance could result in over-polishing when die surfaces were aggressively dressed. This variety was discovered in 2012, demonstrating that new VAM varieties continue to be identified on scarce dates even decades after the Van Allen-Mallis catalog was first published.

External References