1888-S VAM-4

Description

Among the earliest documented varieties for the 1888-S date, VAM-4 was discovered by Jim Baxter in November 1978 and is classified 4 III2 9 with a C3i reverse. The variety is defined by an overpolished wing combined with an S mintmark set to the left of its normal position. Polishing lines on LIBERTY and around the cotton bolls document where Mint personnel used abrasives to maintain the obverse die surface, removing accumulated clash marks or corrosion. The wing overpolishing on the reverse indicates similar maintenance, though aggressive enough to reduce fine feather detail — a characteristic that distinguishes this die from normally worn examples. The S mintmark, positioned left of center, reflects the hand-punching process where each working die received its mintmark individually, with placement varying from die to die. San Francisco struck 657,000 Morgan Dollars in 1888, a notably low mintage that makes any documented die variety from this date inherently scarcer than equivalent varieties from higher-production years. Baxter's 1978 discovery places this among the earlier entries in the VAM system. Small die chip in space between upper cotton leaf and wheat leaf.

External References