1896-O VAM-20

Description

Discovered by George Powell in June 2006, the 1896-O VAM-20 "Doubled 1 and Ear Bottom, O Tilted Right" Morgan dollar documents two distinct obverse diagnostics and a mintmark position anomaly on a single die marriage. Cataloged as 20 III25 · C3c (Doubled 1 and Ear Bottom, O Tilted Right) with a 181-degree die alignment, this variety features an Obverse III25 die showing doubling on the numeral 1 in the date and on the bottom of Liberty's ear, paired with a Reverse C3c die carrying a tilted-right O mintmark. The doubled 1 in the date indicates the first digit received a secondary impression displaced from the primary — either from a hub doubling event or from a repunched date digit — creating a visible doubled image on the leftmost numeral. The doubled ear bottom represents a separate diagnostic on Liberty's portrait where George T. Morgan's carefully sculpted earlobe shows a secondary impression, and the combination of these two diagnostics on a single die creates a multi-point attribution that enhances identification confidence. New Orleans struck approximately 4.90 million Morgan dollars in 1896, a moderate mintage that places the date in the mid-range for O-mint Morgan production. The tilted-right O mintmark on the reverse results from the hand-punching process — the engraver positioned the O mintmark punch slightly off-vertical when impressing it into the reverse working die, creating a clockwise rotation visible under magnification. The Obverse III25 classification represents a less common obverse die type within the 1896-O catalog, distinguishing this die pairing from the more frequently encountered obverse types. Emission sequence data for both dies awaits further documentation. Collectors should examine the numeral 1 in the date, the bottom of Liberty's ear on the obverse, and the tilt angle of the O mintmark on the reverse under 15-20x magnification.

External References