1896-S VAM-10

Description

Bearing a 2014 discovery date, this San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollar is designated III2 8 - C3a (190) and carries particular significance because 1896-S is a key date within the Morgan series owing to its low mintage. VAM-10 exhibits slight doubling on the 1, manifesting as a short horizontal spike positioned well below the top crossbar — a subtle feature requiring patient examination under magnification. The date is set further left than normal, qualifying this die marriage for the near date subgroup. Diagonal polishing lines at Liberty's ear serve as the identifying die marker. Key date Morgans like the 1896-S attract intense scrutiny from variety collectors because their elevated base value motivates careful examination of every surviving specimen, yet the small original mintage means fewer die pairs were employed and fewer coins survive for study. The combination of key date status with a confirmed doubled die variety creates a coin of dual appeal — valuable as a scarce date issue and collectible as an attributed die marriage — and the recent discovery of VAM-10 suggests additional varieties from this low-mintage issue may yet await identification.

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