1887-O VAM-13A

Description

Notable for incorporating a cud as a defining feature, this 1887 New Orleans Morgan Dollar — classified III2 13 with a C3a reverse — displays a rim cud below Liberty's neck point that barely extends into the field. While cuds are typically cataloged as standalone error types, this variety integrates the cud into the VAM framework alongside other diagnostics: a near date position and the mintmark shifted right. Discovered by Francis Davis in October 1977, VAM-13A is one of the earlier documented varieties in the modern VAM system. The obverse cud below the neck represents advanced die deterioration, where a section of the obverse die rim fractured and separated, filling with metal during striking. That this feature coexists with the near date and shifted O mintmark creates a multi-diagnostic variety requiring examination of three separate areas for proper attribution. The New Orleans Mint operated from 1838 to 1909 and produced Morgan Dollars with characteristics distinct from Philadelphia and San Francisco issues. Collectors of New Orleans mintmarks prize varieties like VAM-13A for combining die variety research with the historical provenance of this Southern facility.

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