1897-S VAM-18

Description

Discovered in 2021 by Gary Redfeather (Keil), this 1897 San Francisco Morgan Dollar is classified as 18 III2 9 - C3f and designated Doubled 7 with S Mint Mark Set Right and Tilted Right. The obverse die (III2 9) shows the date within normal lateral position and slightly to the left, with the 7 slightly doubled at the bottom edge of the crossbar — a subtle doubling best confirmed under magnification. Die polishing lines in TY of LIBERTY serve as an obverse die marker, and some specimens show a tiny die chip at the top of the 1. The reverse die (C3f) carries a Type IV S mintmark set slightly to the right with a slight tilt to the right, accompanied by die polishing lines in the wing-neck gap as a reverse die marker. The 2021 discovery date makes this one of the more recently cataloged Morgan Dollar VAMs, demonstrating that new varieties continue to be identified over 140 years after these coins were struck. The 1897-S had a moderate mintage at the San Francisco Mint, and the doubled 7 adds this die pair to the subset of Morgan Dollars with confirmed date digit doubling from the hubbing process.

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