1897-S VAM-25

Description

Formerly designated VAM-2.2 before being renumbered in December 2025, the 1897-S VAM-25 Morgan Dollar features doubled digits 1, 8, and 7 paired with a slightly high S mintmark. The renumbering from 2.2 to 25 reflects the VAM catalog's ongoing maintenance, where fractional designations from earlier classification schemes are converted to whole numbers for consistency. A thick gouge appears to the left of the eagle's left leg on the reverse — a die flaw likely caused by contact with a foreign object during handling that left a permanent impression transferred as a raised mark on struck coins. The slightly high S mintmark sits above its standard position beneath the eagle's tail feathers, a positioning variation created during hand-punching. San Francisco struck 5,825,000 Morgan Dollars in 1897, a moderate output that generated fewer die pairs than the high-volume early 1880s production. The December 2025 renumbering demonstrates that even after nearly 130 years, the VAM catalog remains actively curated with researchers refining designations for clarity.

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