1903-S VAM-8

Description

Discovered by Leroy Van Allen himself in December 1981, the co-creator of the VAM classification system identified the 1903 San Francisco Mint Morgan Dollar VAM-8 under classification 8 III2 1 C4/C3d (2 Olive Reverse) with die pair 189. Struck in 90% silver, the reverse shows a faint olive to the right of the primary olive, connected to the branch, creating the 2 Olive Reverse designation through hub displacement. Additional doubling appears at the base of the olive leaf cluster, the arrow head, the eagle's wing, and the nostril and eye, spreading hub displacement across multiple reverse zones. The centered mint mark carries a slight tilt to the right. Van Allen's personal discovery carries particular significance within the Morgan Dollar collecting community, as his collaboration with A. George Mallis produced the definitive reference establishing the VAM cataloging system used to classify thousands of Morgan and Peace Dollar die marriages. The 1903-S represents one of the final San Francisco issues before production ceased in 1904, and the multi-zone reverse doubling creates a comprehensive diagnostic array.

External References