1897-S VAM-3A

Description

Discovered by Brent Fogelberg in June 2014 and revised in November 2024 to rename the dies, VAM-3A of the 1897-S Morgan Dollar is classified as 3A III2 12 - C3i (S Tilted Right, Die Break Left Wreath) with an unknown rarity. The reverse (die C3i) shows the S mintmark set slightly right and tilted slightly right, accompanied by a small vertical die break at the second berry cluster from the top of the left wreath. Die breaks within wreath details are diagnostic features that typically worsen as a die continues in service, making this a useful marker for tracking die state progression. The obverse emission sequence—linking this die to VAMs 3A, 23, 3, 9, and 16—reveals that this particular obverse die was paired with multiple reverses during its service life, a common practice at the San Francisco Mint to maximize die usage. The 1897-S had a modest mintage of 5,825,000, middle range for the Morgan series. The 2024 die renaming reflects ongoing scholarship in the VAM community, where improved imaging and access to additional specimens sometimes necessitate reclassifying die pairings.

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