1894-S VAM-3

Description

First discovered by Melvin Carmichael in August 1951 — among the earliest formally attributed Morgan Dollar VAMs — the 1894-S VAM-3 was revised for Die 2 by John Coxe in October 2014, with the full classification 3 III2 1 - C3c (S Tilted Right). The 1894-S is one of the rarest Morgan business strikes, with a mintage of only 110,000 coins at San Francisco. VAM-3 encompasses two distinct obverse dies: Die 1 carries its own marker, while Die 2 features a faint curved thread-like impression below the cap fold gap. The reverse die C3c is defined by the mintmark tilted slightly to the right. Two reverse sub-variants further differentiate the sub-populations: Die 1's reverse shows a Type IV S tilted right with polishing, while Die 2's reverse shows polishing lines in the wreath bow — distinguishing VAM-3.1 from VAM-3.2. Carmichael's 1951 discovery predates systematic VAMWorld cataloguing and represents an early contribution to Morgan Dollar attribution. On a date as scarce as the 1894-S, any attributable VAM variety is inherently significant, and die-marker documentation is essential for correct sub-assignment.

External References