1901-S VAM-10

Description

Discovered by Ash Harrison in September 2004, this 1901-S Morgan Dollar features strongly doubled elements at the ear — the bottom outside of the ear and hair above it show pronounced doubling, with the eyelid also doubled below its primary position. Cataloged as VAM-10 with attribution III23 - C4a and designation (189), the "Doubled Ear" attribute makes this one of the more visually accessible VAM varieties because ear doubling is readily visible under moderate magnification. The 1901-S is a key date in the Morgan series, with approximately 2.28 million coins struck at San Francisco — significantly lower than most Philadelphia and New Orleans issues. This scarcity elevates the significance of documented die varieties, as fewer dies were used and each pairing represents a larger fraction of total production. Late die state specimens develop a distinctive crack through the date that serves as a strong attribution marker, confirming both die identity and the coin's late production position. Collectors of key-date Morgans value VAM-10 for combining the 1901-S's inherent scarcity with a visually dramatic doubled ear feature.

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