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1881-S Morgan Dollar: Heavy Die Chips On Date & Stars / Light Doubling To Some Stars/Letters

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Author Previous TopicReplies: 10 / Views: 639Next Topic  
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United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/01/2025  10:27 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hello all. I've recently been looking through my Morgans under magnification and have found this. I have tried to narrow it down from VAM World by searching for key words like "8" "date" "Die Chips" and some match but not totally. VAM 1A1, VAM 8A, VAM 19, VAM 38 are some possible candidates but they don't match exactly, I don't think the mint marks seems particularly high, there is no crack through the hair that lays on the face, or other small details that won't match any given VAM exactly.

If anyone is interested or has any idea let me know. Also wondering if it's possible this could just be a unique error and not qualify for a VAM number.

Will post pics and can add more if anyone would like to see more areas of the coin. I will post the best I can, hard to get some of the angles under magnification though. First pics will just be regular then I will post magnified.
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
New Member
United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/01/2025  10:28 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
some pics of the date
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
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United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/01/2025  10:30 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
pics of the stars

1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
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United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/01/2025  10:31 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
the mint mark


1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
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United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/01/2025  10:32 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
and some of the hair


1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
New Member
United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/01/2025  11:42 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I believe I may narrowed it down to either the
1881-S VAM-60 Doubled Right Stars & Right Wreath
or
1881-S VAM-65 Tripled Right Stars, Spike in (left) 8

but there is a spike in the top left loop of BOTH 8s and I see the VAM-65 has only a spike in the first 8 so most likely the VAM-60 would match more closely.
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United States
343 Posts
 Posted 08/02/2025  11:54 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add UnimpossibIe to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
What caused you to eliminate VAM-1A1?
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 Posted 08/02/2025  1:04 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
What caused you to eliminate VAM-1A1?


Hey, thanks for the reply! Mostly because it doesn't have the "Die Marker: Diagonal Die Scratch Upper Hair Curl" , (I'll attach picture from VAMWorld ) Do you think this could possibly be the correct die from the 1a1 but at an early stage or do you think I should eliminate it because it doesn't have this distinct mark? Most of the other attributes do match 1A1 though, the mint mark is slightly slanted left /doubling on stars. But then again the date does have a spike inside the upper loop @ 11:00 position of BOTH 8s, another reason why I eliminated 1A1 (which seems to have it just on the 1st 8)

VAM-60 also has that crack/scratch through the upper hair curl. VAM-65 doesn't have a spike in the 2nd 8 loop. Mine appears to have that spike unless it is a flake/doubling and I just can't see well enough. I have looked through the full list and can't quite seem to pinpoint it. I am starting to doubt any of the ones listed are correct. I was leaning towards 65 but mine really appears to have a spike in that second 8.

(VAM-1A1)
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
Edited by alaeriosn
08/02/2025 1:39 pm
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United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/02/2025  1:47 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
my 8's up close
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
Valued Member
United States
343 Posts
 Posted 08/02/2025  10:59 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add UnimpossibIe to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I haven't fully researched either but I highlighted a couple notes from the 1A and 1A1 that I thought might be relevant to your example. Happy hunting!

1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
1881-S-Morgan-Dollar:-Heavy-Die-Chips-On-Date-&-Stars-/-Light-Doubling-To-Some-Stars/Letters
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United States
19 Posts
 Posted 08/08/2025  12:25 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add alaeriosn to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
UnimpossibIe , Thank you so much for your input and help. I think you may be right, I'm still learning about theses numbers and wasn't sure if every single aspect must be matched to a T. The info on the VW site is so immense it's almost overwhelming, especially when it comes to particular dates if not familiar with VAMs.
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