1896-O VAM-18

Description

Attributed by Leroy Van Allen in December 1981, this 1896-O Morgan Dollar variety was assigned VAM-18 with the revised classification III21 - C3f. The variety is identified by a medium O mintmark positioned slightly high relative to the standard placement, paired with a normal obverse die showing no distinctive characteristics. A notable feature of this die pairing is that the reverse die is rotated counterclockwise by a few degrees — a subtle misalignment between the obverse and reverse dies in the press that produces a slight deviation from the normal 180-degree medal-turn alignment. Die rotation, while not uncommon on Morgan Dollars, adds an extra dimension of interest for variety collectors who track mechanical press variations alongside die-specific characteristics. The 1896-O is a semi-key date in the Morgan Dollar series with a relatively modest mintage, and New Orleans issues from the late 1890s are generally well-studied within the VAM framework. Van Allen's identification of this variety in 1981 places it among the discoveries made during the mature phase of VAM research, after the initial cataloging push of the 1960s and 1970s had established the foundational framework for the system. =1896-O VAM-18 High O= Discovered by Leroy Van Allen, December 1981.

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