1887-O VAM-7

Description

Among the earlier New Orleans Morgan Dollar varieties to be formally identified, the 1887-O VAM-7 was discovered by Bill Fivaz in February 1973 and subsequently revised in 2010. Classified as III2 7, C3a, its principal diagnostics include a doubled 1 at the very bottom, a tripled left 8 at the lower right outside of the lower loop, and all left stars doubled toward the rim. The date sits at the right edge of normal lateral position. A November 2010 review by Leroy noted very slight doubling on the designer's initial but found it insufficient to warrant listing, and no significantly doubled lower hair strands were confirmed. The top of the 7 was determined to show a bag mark rather than genuine doubling. New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollars from 1887 are common in overall terms, but specific varieties such as VAM-7 reward careful examination under magnification. The tripling of the 8 is the most dramatic feature and serves as the primary diagnostic, while the doubled left stars offer quick confirmation even before examining the date digits.

External References