1889-O VAM-9B

Description

Discovered by John Roberts in March 2006 on a coin from C. Logan McKechnie's holdings, VAM-9B for the 1889-O Morgan Dollar is classified III2 1 C3f, designated "O Set High, Denticle Impressions on Reverse," with reference number 181. This 90% silver New Orleans Mint issue features an unusual reverse anomaly: three raised dots below the left tail feathers created by impressions of the outside of denticles — the small tooth-like rim projections — with spacing matching the denticle pattern. These impressions suggest a contact event between the die face and the coin's rim area during manufacturing, transferring the denticle pattern into the die field where it appeared as raised dots on struck coins. The reverse carries a Type II O mint mark set upright and high. The obverse, classified III2 1, completes the die marriage identification. George T. Morgan's 1889-O was one of approximately 11.9 million struck at New Orleans that year. Denticle impression varieties are uncommon in the VAM catalog, making VAM-9B a distinctive entry documenting an atypical production anomaly at the New Orleans facility.

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