1894-S VAM-5

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in September 1979, VAM-5 of the 1894-S Morgan dollar is designated III2 3 - C3d as Doubled 1, High S, from die pair (190). The obverse III2 3 shows the numeral 1 in the date doubled below its upper crossbar, a subtle but confirmable attribution point under magnification. The reverse C3d carries a medium size III S mintmark set high and upright, positioned slightly to the right and touching the uppermost position guide. Notably, the C3d reverse die is also listed for 1894-S VAM-6, establishing a shared-reverse die linkage between the two varieties. When the same reverse die appears with different obverse dies, it provides emission sequence evidence about die utilization and pairing practices at the San Francisco Mint. The 1894-S Morgan dollar had a mintage of 1,260,000, placing it among the lower-production San Francisco dates. Field's discovery nearly five decades ago established this variety within the early VAM catalog, and the doubled 1 combined with the high S mintmark position offers collectors two distinct attribution features on a single coin.

External References