1892-S VAM-10

Description

VAM-10 of the 1892-S Morgan Dollar documents the tenth identified die variety for the San Francisco Mint's 1892 production, as cataloged by the VAMWorld attribution community. The 1892-S Morgan Dollar occupies a position in the later years of the series' original production run, which would end in 1904 before the brief 1921 revival. San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollars from the early 1890s are widely collected for their generally superior strike quality compared to New Orleans and some Philadelphia issues of the same period, as the San Francisco facility maintained high production standards throughout the Morgan Dollar era. George T. Morgan's design — the iconic Liberty head with wheat and cotton wreath on the obverse and the heraldic eagle reverse — was in its fourteenth year by 1892, and the dies used at the San Francisco Mint carried the small S mintmark below the wreath bow on the reverse. Struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, the coin weighs 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 mm and features a reeded edge. The VAM-10 designation indicates this die marriage carries specific identifying characteristics — such as date position, mintmark placement, die cracks, polishing lines, or other die-specific features — that distinguish it from the other nine preceding VAM numbers and any subsequent varieties documented for this date-mint combination. The San Francisco Mint, established during the California Gold Rush in 1854, produced Morgan Dollars of consistent quality that appeal to both type collectors and VAM specialists building comprehensive date-mint variety sets.

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