1891-S VAM-19

Description

Discovered by Bud Sprink (known in the VAMWorld community as "Koshchaj") in August 2011 and renumbered to VAM-19 in September 2024, the 1891-S VAM-19 Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 5 · C3g (Doubled 1-91, Pitted Wing) with die pairing number 190 and a DPIS notation of RH3/LE5. The reverse (C3g) exhibits fine raised pitting dots at the middle and upper parts of the eagle's right wing from a rusted die — a pattern where moisture-induced corrosion created small cavities in the die surface that transferred as raised dots on struck coins, and community commentary notes that "the pitting is quite severe." The S mintmark is set slightly to the right. The obverse (III2 5) displays doubled digits 1, 9, and 1 in the date, with the obverse die shared with VAM-6 as confirmed by emission sequence data. An additional community observation notes that this variety is known with either one clash or two on the reverse only, indicating the reverse die experienced die clash events where the obverse design was transferred to the reverse during die-on-die contact without a planchet. George T. Morgan's design was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1891, composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1891-S had a mintage of approximately 5.30 million pieces. The combination of date doubling, severe die rust pitting on the wing, and one or two reverse clash impressions makes this variety a complex multi-feature attribution where specimens may present differently depending on whether they were struck before or after the second clash event occurred.

External References