1899-O VAM-1

Description

George Mallis identified this baseline New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar die marriage in June 1965, cataloging it as VAM-1 III2 1 - C3a (Open 9's). The obverse is classified as a normal die of the III2 type distinguished by open 9's in the date — where the loops of both 9 digits do not fully close, leaving a gap in the upper portion of each numeral. The reverse is a normal C3 type die with a medium III O mint mark centered and upright in its standard position beneath the eagle's tail feathers. As the VAM-1 listing, this represents the primary or baseline die marriage for the 1899-O date, against which other varieties are compared and differentiated. The open 9 date style is a significant diagnostic because some 1899-O Morgan Dollar dies feature closed 9's, and distinguishing between the two is a fundamental step in VAM attribution for the date. The 1899-O Morgan Dollar had a mintage of 12,290,000 pieces from the New Orleans facility, a substantial output that produced multiple die pairs and correspondingly numerous VAM varieties. The New Orleans Mint operated as a branch facility from 1838 to 1909, and its Morgan Dollar production from the 1890s represents the facility's mature period when equipment and procedures were well established. The centered and upright O mint mark described for the C3a reverse die is the standard placement, differentiating it from the tilted, shifted, or micro-O varieties found on other 1899-O die pairs.

External References