1880-O VAM-27

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in June 1979, VAM-27 of the 1880 New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 20 - C3a with the designation "Doubled 80" and assigned catalog number 176. The doubling specifically affects the digits 8 and 0 in the date: the second 8 shows doubling at the lower left outside of its upper loop, and the 0 is doubled at the lower left inside and at the top right inside. This precision in documenting exactly which portions of individual date numerals exhibit doubling exemplifies the detailed diagnostic approach that characterizes VAM attribution at its finest. Date doubling on Morgan Dollars typically results from a misalignment during the hubbing process or from minor repositioning of the date logotype punch, and the specific pattern on VAM-27 — affecting discrete portions of the 8 and 0 while leaving the 1 and first 8 apparently unaffected — suggests a localized shift rather than a wholesale rotation. The 1880-O Morgan Dollar was produced at the New Orleans Mint with a total mintage of approximately 5.3 million pieces across all die pairs, and Martin Field's 1979 discovery came during the formative era of systematic VAM cataloging when Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis's reference work was still relatively new. The III2 20 obverse classification places this within a specific obverse die grouping, while C3a identifies the reverse die characteristics, and the catalog number 176 positions it within the sequential numbering for all 1880-O VAM varieties. The "Doubled 80" designation provides a concise descriptive label that collectors can reference when searching for or discussing this particular variety, complementing the formal classification codes with an accessible summary of the primary diagnostic feature.

External References