1891-S VAM-21

Description

A remarkably recent addition to Morgan Dollar scholarship, the 1891-S VAM-21 "Slanted Date, S Set Right" was discovered by Brent Fogelberg in December 2024. Classified as III2-6 with reverse die C3g, this variety exhibits a date punched at a slight angle and an S mintmark positioned further right than standard. The emission sequence data — Obverse: 7, 21 and Reverse: 21, 19 — maps the die's usage within San Francisco's production order. Die state indicators LE4/RH5 characterize the progressive wear on each die at the time documented specimens were struck. The rarity designation remains unknown (?), expected for a variety discovered so recently that the population has not yet been established through census submissions. Morgan's 90% silver dollar was in its fourteenth production year at 38.1mm diameter. The combination of slanted date punch and rightward mintmark placement provides the dual diagnostic needed for attribution. This discovery demonstrates that new Morgan Dollar VAMs continue to emerge even after more than a century of collector scrutiny.

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