1899-O VAM-20

Description

Attributed by Martin Field in December 1978, the 1899-O VAM-20 carries die classification III2 5·C3j and is titled Doubled 1 and Reverse. The obverse shows the 1 in the date doubled at the bottom of its upper crossbar. The 9's in the date are the open 9 style. The O mintmark is set high and tilted to the right — a mintmark placement anomaly characteristic of hand-punching variation at the New Orleans Mint. On the reverse, the motto and UNITED STATES OF AMERI are doubled toward the rim — a spread covering a substantial portion of the reverse legend. The C3j reverse die classification indicates a specific die pairing in the Van Allen–Mallis system for 1899-O reverses. This variety combines three independently verifiable diagnostics: the doubled upper crossbar of the 1, the high and tilted O mintmark, and the reverse legend doubling. The spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERI is one of the broader reverse doubling signatures documented for this date, making it an identifiable variety even on examples with moderate wear. Field's 1978 attribution places this among the foundational 1899-O VAM research. =1899-O VAM-20 Doubled 1 and Reverse= Discovered by Martin Field, December 1978.

External References