1897-O VAM-16

Description

Discovered by Ed Pope in November 2022, 1897-O VAM-16 is a recently attributed New Orleans Mint Morgan dollar catalogued as III2 9 C3i with the designation Near Date, Chip in O. The obverse shows the date set to the left of its normal position. Obverse die markers include chips in the lower left part of the cap ribbon, lines in the D-shaped hair void, and lines in the cotton bolls. The reverse is C3i, with the O mintmark set slightly high and a die chip at the lower right inside of the mintmark. Reverse die markers include lines in the wing-neck gap and a slightly stronger diagonal scratch near the top of where the eagle's left wing meets the body. The DPIS is recorded as RE2/C4. Die chips inside a mintmark arise when small fragments of hardened die steel break away, leaving raised lumps on subsequently struck coins. New Orleans Morgan dollars are popular for the O mintmark, and the 1897-O is conditionally challenging in higher grades. Morgan dollars are 90% silver. The near date position, high O mintmark, and die chip within the mintmark provide the three-point attribution framework for confirming 1897-O VAM-16.

External References