1899-O VAM-34B

Description

Discovered by David Borofski in February 2006, the 1899-O VAM-34B Morgan Dollar is distinguished by a High O mintmark set shifted to the left, combined with a prominent die break above the letter E in UNITED on the reverse. Cataloged as die pairing III21 - C3h with Rarity Scale 186, the reverse die designated C3h shows a die crack running through the tops of the UNITED letters with a displaced field break extending upward from the top of the E to the rim — a progressive die failure that produced increasingly dramatic specimens as the die deteriorated. The "B" suffix indicates this is a later die state of the VAM-34 obverse, paired with a reverse showing more advanced cracking than earlier stages. The 1899 New Orleans Mint produced approximately 12.29 million Morgan Dollars, and the O mintmark on VAM-34B is positioned higher and further left than the typical placement, providing an immediate visual diagnostic even before examining the reverse die break. Morgan Dollar VAM collecting represents one of the deepest specialties in American numismatics, with the Van Allen-Mallis system cataloging thousands of die marriages across the series. The combination of a shifted mintmark with a significant reverse die break makes VAM-34B a visually compelling variety for collectors building comprehensive 1899-O VAM sets.

External References