1891-S VAM-22

Description

Discovered in October 2024 by Wali Motorwalla, this San Francisco Morgan dollar is cataloged as VAM-22 under classification III2 16 with a C3j reverse, described as Far Date, S Tilted Right. The obverse shows a date set right of normal and slightly higher than usual, with die markers including lines in the top left of the E in LIBERTY and a short horizontal scratch from the base of the lower cotton boll into the cotton leaf. On the reverse, the S mintmark sits slightly right of center and tilts right, while the upper tail feathers near the eagle's right foot show overpolishing. Reverse die markers include predominantly vertical lines in the wing-neck gap, faint lines at the top inside of the wreath bow, and a crack across the tip of the eagle's right wing. The die pair index stands at B34/C5. As one of the most recently discovered Morgan dollar VAM varieties, this 2024 attribution demonstrates that new die marriages continue to surface even among well-studied dates. The tilted S mintmark combined with the elevated far date gives collectors two positional diagnostics for confirming this variety.

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