1889-O VAM-13A

Description

Originally classified as a sub-variety of VAM-13, this 1889 New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar was elevated to VAM-13A status following the discovery by Merritt Reynolds in January 2003 of a distinctive die break extending from the top of Liberty's cap upward to the rim on the right side of the B in PLURIBUS. The full designation is III2 8 C3a, indicating a Far Date obverse die position combined with the C3a reverse die type. The "A" suffix denotes this as a late die state of the VAM-13 obverse where the radial die break has developed — a progressive feature that was not present on earlier strikes from the same die. Radial die breaks, running from interior design elements outward toward the rim, represent structural failures in the die steel caused by the tremendous pressures of striking Morgan Dollars on their large 38.1mm planchets. The 1889-O Morgan Dollar had a modest mintage of 11,875,000, lower than many New Orleans Mint dates, and the New Orleans facility was known for producing coins with weaker strikes and more frequent die problems compared to the Philadelphia and San Francisco operations. VAM-13A's die break at Liberty's cap creates a visually dramatic feature on surviving specimens, particularly those that saw limited circulation. The VAM classification system, developed by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis, tracks these progressive die states through letter suffixes (A, B, C, etc.), providing collectors with a roadmap of how individual dies deteriorated over their production lifespan. This variety carries the (181) rarity plate designation within the standard VAM tracking framework.

External References