1899-O VAM-26

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in June 1981, the 1899-O VAM-26 Morgan Dollar is classified as a Doubled Reverse variety, carrying the die pairing III2 1 with reverse designation C3k. The reverse die exhibits comprehensive doubling: the legend and motto are doubled toward the rim along with the outside edge of the wreath, indicating a secondary hub impression that shifted outward relative to the first during die manufacture. The mint mark is noted as set slightly high and upright, providing an additional attribution point. The 1899-O Morgan Dollar was produced at the New Orleans Mint with a substantial mintage of approximately 12.29 million coins, one of the larger outputs for this facility during the final decade of Morgan Dollar production. Reversed doubling that spreads toward the rim across multiple design elements — legend, motto, and wreath simultaneously — indicates a consistent directional shift during hubbing that affected the entire reverse die face. Martin Field was a prolific contributor to the early development of the VAM catalog, and his June 1981 discovery of VAM-26 came during a period when systematic study of Morgan Dollar die varieties was accelerating rapidly among collectors. The C3k reverse classification places this within a specific die type category, helping researchers track which reverse hub configurations produced doubled die characteristics. Collectors attributing this variety can look for the rim-ward doubling on the legend text as the most readily visible diagnostic feature, with the wreath edge doubling providing confirmation under closer examination.

External References