1882-O VAM-2

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Verified LegacyVAM Variety

Market Value

N/A

Rarity Index

N/A

Discovery Date

1882

Last Sold

N/A

Description

Carrying deep historical significance in the VAM cataloging system, the 1882-O VAM-2 was discovered by George Mallis in June 1965. Mallis is the "M" in the VAM designation itself, having co-developed the Van Allen-Mallis attribution system that revolutionized Morgan and Peace dollar variety collecting. This New Orleans Mint variety is classified as 2 III2 2 - C3a (Closed 2) (181), featuring a normal obverse die of the III2 type distinguished by its closed 2 in the date. The reverse carries the standard C3a designation. As of 2023, no examples had been registered with the SSDC, and the open versus closed 2 distinction is no longer used as a basis for VAM listing, reflecting the evolving standards of the attribution system that Mallis helped create. Despite its relatively simple diagnostic, the VAM-2 holds a unique place in the Morgan dollar variety canon as one of the earliest cataloged varieties by a founder of the classification system that now encompasses thousands of documented die marriages across the entire Morgan and Peace dollar series.