1891-S VAM-5

Description

Cataloged as the fifth distinct die pairing for the 1891 San Francisco Morgan Dollar, VAM-5 documents a specific combination of obverse and reverse dies from the penultimate year of original Morgan Dollar production. The first era of Morgan coinage spanned 1878 through 1904, and the 1891-S carries a mintage of 5,296,000 — a moderate figure that placed fewer working die pairs into service than higher-production Philadelphia issues. The San Francisco Mint maintained a reputation for well-executed strikes throughout the Morgan series, and 1891-S specimens generally reflect that standard, with sharper detail on Liberty's hair strands and the eagle's breast feathers compared to contemporaneous New Orleans output. George T. Morgan's design was struck in 90% silver at 26.73 grams on 38.1mm planchets. Each VAM number represents a unique die combination identified through diagnostic markers such as positional differences, die scratches, polishing lines, or clash marks. VAM-5 occupies an early position in the 1891-S die study, indicating it was among the first non-baseline pairings documented for this date and mint.

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