1886-O VAM-22

Description

Discovered by Ben Wengel in February 2010, VAM-22 of the 1886-O Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 15 - C3a and designated "8 in Denticles" for its distinctive diagnostic feature: a possible top of an 8 visible in the denticle space between the 86 of the date, appearing as a short raised curved bar. This feature suggests evidence of a repunched or re-entered date digit, where traces of an earlier date punch position remain visible within the rim denticles — the small tooth-like projections that form the border between the design and the rim. The 1886-O Morgan Dollar was struck at the New Orleans Mint in a mintage of approximately 10.71 million pieces, making it a mid-range date in the Morgan Dollar series that ran from 1878 through 1921. New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollars are collected as a distinct sub-series, and the facility's production quality varied considerably, with some dates showing more die variety activity than others. The VAM system — named for Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis, who created the comprehensive Morgan and Peace Dollar die variety classification — organizes varieties by obverse and reverse die characteristics, with the Roman numeral and number designations encoding specific die features. VAM-22's C3a classification indicates a specific die combination category within the VAM system's hierarchical structure. Cataloged by VAMWorld, the community-driven resource for Morgan and Peace Dollar die varieties, this variety occupies a specialized niche that appeals to VAM collectors pursuing complete die variety sets for the 1886-O date.

External References