1898-O VAM-17
Error
Description
Discovered by Leroy Van Allen in September 1981 and classified as 17 (revised) III212 C3e, this 1898-O Morgan Dollar variety features a doubled second 8 in the date combined with an O mintmark set very high. The obverse (III212) shows the second 8 in the date doubled on its upper loop, providing a clear diagnostic on the date numerals. The reverse displays the O mintmark positioned significantly higher than normal above the D-O junction of DOLLAR. Leroy Van Allen — co-creator of the VAM classification system alongside A. George Mallis — discovered this variety personally, lending it direct provenance to one of the founders of modern Morgan Dollar die variety research. The die pair number 181 places this within the DPIS framework. The high O mintmark is an immediately visible macro-level diagnostic that aids in cherrypicking before the more subtle date doubling is examined. Struck in 90% silver at the New Orleans Mint, the 1898-O Morgan Dollar was produced during the later years of the series' original run.
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