1884-O VAM-1

Description

Discovered by Fred Drost in June 1963, VAM-1 for the 1884-O Morgan Dollar from the New Orleans Mint is cataloged on plate position 1 III2 1-C3a (181). VAM-1 designations represent the baseline die combination for a given date and mint, establishing the standard pairing against which all other VAMs are compared. The obverse die state III2 1 indicates a normal die, while reverse C3a describes a normal die with a tall oval medium mint mark centered and upright. The Oval O classification refers to the shape of the New Orleans mint mark, a characteristic VAM researchers use to differentiate mint mark punch varieties. Fred Drost was among the early researchers who helped build VAM cataloging before Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis formalized the system. The 1884-O is one of the most available Morgan Dollar dates in uncirculated condition, owing to massive quantities held in Treasury vaults and released during the 1960s. Despite its availability, the VAM-1 baseline serves an essential reference function for attributing less common varieties from this prolific New Orleans issue.

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