1887-O VAM-29

Description

Discovered by Richard Pawley in May 1998, this VAM-29 of the 1887 New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar features the first five stars on the right side of the obverse slightly doubled toward the rim, combined with a near date position set further left than normal. Classified as obverse die III225 with a C3a reverse, the doubled right stars indicate the hub shifted slightly between impressions during die preparation, affecting the star elements on the right side of Liberty's portrait. The near date characteristic, where the date numerals are positioned closer to the rim than typical, helps identify the specific obverse die. The 1887-O Morgan Dollar has a moderate mintage, produced at the New Orleans Mint during the Gilded Age when silver dollar production was driven by the Bland-Allison Act mandating government silver purchases. Richard Pawley's 1998 discovery came two decades after the original Van Allen-Mallis catalog was published, illustrating the depth of material that remained undiscovered in the Morgan Dollar series. Doubled stars on Morgan Dollars are relatively uncommon compared to date and mintmark varieties, as the star elements are smaller and require careful examination to detect. The combination of doubled stars and near date position creates a two-feature variety that demands examination of both the star field and the date area for complete attribution, making VAM-29 a variety of interest to specialists who appreciate multi-diagnostic die pairings.

External References