1885-O VAM-5

Description

Among the earliest-attributed New Orleans Morgan Dollar varieties, VAM-5 was discovered by William Zavressa in January 1968 and carries classification III2 5 C3a. What sets this coin apart is its date positioning: set high and with a pronounced slant, the 5 sits measurably higher than the 1, and the entire date is further right than normal for 1885-O production. This slanted high far date is visible to the naked eye on well-struck examples, serving as a first-pass screener. On the reverse, the O mintmark occupies a normal position but tilts slightly left and carries an arc-shaped die flake on its left surface — a die artifact rather than a doubled mintmark. Leroy Van Allen noted in his VAM commentary: "Since not die dbld O m/m, but rather a die flake, kept C3a designation and described it in listing." That note explains why the reverse designation remains C3a despite the mintmark anomaly. The 1885-O Morgan is composed of 90% silver and had a large mintage, making problem-free high-grade examples obtainable, but the VAM-5 attribution rewards the patient searcher willing to examine date tilt.

External References