1885-O VAM-19

Description

Identified by Mark Kimpton in October 2002, VAM-19 of the 1885-O Morgan Dollar combines two distinct obverse features into a single variety designation: Doubled Ear and High O. Cataloged as plate 19 III214 with a C3c reverse die class, this variety shows Liberty's ear slightly doubled at the right and left inside edges and at the lower outside contour, a subtle but confirmable spread that is best observed under moderate magnification with raking light to accentuate the secondary image adjacent to the primary ear impression. The High O component of the variety name refers to the positioning of the O mintmark on the reverse, which sits higher than the standard placement seen on most 1885-O die pairings. Ear doubling on Morgan Dollars is a recognized diagnostic category within the VAM system, indicating that the obverse hub or die received a secondary impression affecting the ear area specifically. The 1885-O Morgan Dollar benefits from massive Treasury vault releases that brought millions of uncirculated specimens to market in the 1960s. Attributed by VAMWorld. =1885-O VAM-19 Doubled Ear, High O= Discovered by Mark Kimpton, October 2002.

External References