1899-S VAM-13

Description

Attributed to Martin Field from his October 1982 research, the 1899-S VAM-13 documents a San Francisco Morgan Dollar with the date positioned further right than normal — the same Far Date characteristic Field identified on other dates in the series. Classified as 13 III2 7 with the C3a (Far Date) designation and catalog reference (187), the obverse die III2 7 displays the date shifted rightward, widening the gap between the 1 and the rim at left while closing the distance to Liberty's bust truncation at right. Date placement varied because the four-digit logotype was hand-punched into each working die, and even slight lateral positioning differences became permanent once the punch was set. The San Francisco Mint, established during the California Gold Rush in 1854, struck Morgan Dollars from 1878 through 1921. By 1899, Morgan's Liberty Head design was in its twenty-second year of production, struck in 90% silver at 38.1mm. The S mintmark appears on the reverse below the wreath. Compare the date-to-rim gap on this variety against a standard 1899-S to observe the rightward displacement that defines VAM-13. =1899-S VAM-13 Far Date= Discovered by Martin Field, October 1982.

External References