1879 (O) Morgan Dollar - VAM-39

Description

Discovered by C. Logan McKechnie in December 2004, the 1879-O VAM-39 Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 29 · C3n (Doubled 1-7, Doubled Left Reverse) with die pairing number 176. The obverse (III2 29) exhibits subtle doubled digits in the date: the 1 is slightly doubled at the bottom of the lower crossbar, and the 7 is doubled at the very top — two isolated but diagnostically specific digit doubling features that require focused examination under magnification to identify. The reverse (C3n) shares the same hub doubling characteristics as the VAM-30 C3i reverse but is paired with a type II O mintmark that is centered and upright, rather than the mintmark variant found on VAM-30. The die marker note identifies polishing lines at the right outside of the wreath bow — linear striations from die maintenance that serve as a reverse die fingerprint. The relationship between VAM-39 and VAM-30 illustrates a fundamental concept in VAM collecting: the same reverse die can appear in multiple die marriages when paired with different obverse dies, creating distinct VAM numbers that share a reverse but differ in their obverse characteristics. George T. Morgan designed this silver dollar, struck at the New Orleans Mint in 1879 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. McKechnie's discovery of this die marriage in 2004 expanded the known die pair population for the 1879-O date, contributing to the comprehensive documentation of New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar production.

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