1890-O VAM-6A

Description

Discovered in 2019 by Bill Wolverton, this 1890-O Morgan Dollar variety — classified under III2 1 / C3d with Rarity-(181) — features a die break at ATE of STATES on the reverse, with the O mintmark set high and to the left. The reverse die (C3d) shows a die crack at the top of STATES accompanied by a displaced field break at ATE, where the die fracture has progressed beyond a simple crack to produce measurable displacement of the metal in the affected area. Displaced field breaks represent a more advanced stage of die failure than hairline cracks, as the die surface has shifted enough to create visible relief changes on the struck coin. The "A" suffix on VAM-6A indicates this is a later die state of VAM-6, documenting the progression of the die crack to the displaced field break stage. The New Orleans Mint struck 10,701,000 Morgan Dollars in 1890, and O-mint varieties from this date include multiple die marriages with mintmark position anomalies, reflecting the hand-punching process used to apply the O mintmark to each reverse die. This relatively recent 2019 discovery — on a coin type struck 129 years earlier — demonstrates that new VAM varieties continue to be identified as researchers examine previously unstudied die pairs.

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