1891-S VAM-1C

Description

Discovered by Herb Zepke in April 2000, the 1891-S VAM-1C "Thorned Neck Die Gouges" Morgan dollar documents a distinctive pattern of die gouges on Liberty's neck that create a thorn-like appearance on George T. Morgan's obverse design. This parent variety has subsequently been subdivided into two recognized die states: VAM-1C1, which carries the thorned neck die gouges alone, and VAM-1C2, which adds die breaks on the reverse to the thorned neck obverse characteristics. San Francisco struck approximately 5.30 million Morgan dollars in 1891, a moderate mintage that sustained the facility's production through the penultimate decade of original Morgan dollar coinage. The "thorned neck" description vividly characterizes the visual effect of the die gouges — multiple linear defects radiating from or clustered around Liberty's neck create raised lines on struck coins that resemble thorns protruding from the portrait. Die gouges of this character typically result from foreign material trapped between the hub and die during sinking, or from accidental tool contact during die preparation, and their distinctive pattern provides a highly recognizable diagnostic that distinguishes this die from all other 1891-S obverse dies. The bifurcation into two sub-varieties (1C1 and 1C2) documents the die's progressive deterioration: the obverse gouges were present from the outset of the die's service life, while the reverse die breaks developed later during production, creating a chronological sequence that collectors can use to assess relative production timing. Herb Zepke's April 2000 discovery established the parent variety, with subsequent research identifying the two distinct die states. Collectors examining 1891-S Morgan dollars should look for the cluster of raised thorn-like lines on Liberty's neck, then check the reverse for the presence or absence of die breaks to determine the sub-variety classification.

External References