1898-S VAM-2

Description

Originally identified by George Mallis in June 1965 — making it one of the earliest documented Morgan Dollar die varieties — VAM-2 on the 1898-S features an "Open 9" in the date, where the bottom loop of the 9 fails to connect with the upper loop, leaving a visible gap in the digit. This feature was once considered a meaningful die variety diagnostic, but the accompanying notation indicates that the open-9 criteria are now considered obsolete — reflecting evolving standards within VAM attribution as the field has matured over six decades. What qualified as a distinct variety in the mid-1960s may no longer meet the more rigorous classification thresholds established by later researchers. San Francisco struck 4.102 million Morgan Dollars in 1898, a relatively low mintage that makes the 1898-S a better date with meaningful premiums in higher grades. Mallis, whose research predates the comprehensive VAM system he would later co-develop with Van Allen, was a pioneer in systematic Morgan Dollar die study. VAM-2's status as an early attribution with now-obsolete criteria documents the development of variety classification methodology itself. =1898-S VAM-2 Open 9= Discovered by George Mallis, June 1965.

External References