1894-O VAM-11

Description

John Coxe discovered this New Orleans Morgan dollar variety in February 2011, classifying it as III2 8 with a C3a reverse under the designation Low Date, Doubled 8, Denticle Impressions O Mint Mark. The obverse die positions the date set low in the normal lateral position, with slight doubling visible at the lower right inside of the upper loop of the 8. The reverse presents a particularly unusual feature: a row of four small raised dots appears at the top of the O mint mark, spaced approximately 0.03 inches apart, with three additional dots in a row positioned 0.015 inches below on the left side of the O mint mark. These raised dots are actually impressions transferred from the obverse denticles, documenting a moment during die preparation or clashing when the rim's denticle pattern left its mark on the mint mark area. This denticle impression phenomenon is uncommon in the Morgan dollar series and provides an instantly recognizable diagnostic. The low date position serves as the initial screening characteristic, while the denticle dots on the O mint mark confirm the attribution definitively. 1894-O VAM-11 Low Date, Doubled 8, Denticle Impressions O Mint Mark Discovered by John Coxe, February 2011.

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