1898-S VAM-8

Description

Discovered by Jay Galst in February 1980, the 1898-S VAM-8 is classified 8 III2 5 - C3d (Near Date, S Tilted Right) at rarity 188. This 90% silver Morgan Dollar from the San Francisco Mint features a date set further left than normal on obverse III2 5, paired with a reverse C3d where the S mint mark tilts slightly to the right. The leftward date displacement represents a positional anomaly from when the date logotype was impressed into the working die at a different lateral position than standard. An important die study note: this coin was struck after the 1898-S VAM-8A, from the same dies that were well reworked — on VAM-8 it is very difficult to discern that the die once carried a repunched second 8, the evidence of which has been largely removed by die maintenance. This VAM-8/VAM-8A relationship documents a complete cycle of die deterioration and repair, where reworking eliminated the visible repunching but could not alter the date's lateral position. Struck at 412.5 grains, the 1898-S is a lower-mintage San Francisco date that attracts die marriage specialists studying positional and reworked die characteristics.

External References