1899-O VAM-38

Description

Discovered by Mike Best in December 2005, the 1899-O VAM-38 Morgan Dollar is classified as 38 III223 · C3h (Doubled Ear, Near Date, O Set High) with die pairing number 181. The obverse (III223) exhibits slightly doubled ear at the right inside and bottom outside of Liberty's ear, with the date set further left than normal and positioned low — the "Near Date" designation indicating the date digits sit closer to the portrait than the standard placement for 1899-O Morgans. The reverse (C3h) features the O mintmark set high and shifted to the left of its typical position within the wreath — a hand-punched variation that creates a measurable offset from the standard New Orleans mintmark placement. A catalog commentary warns that "doubling as seen in the photo below is remarkably transitory and therefore poor for attributions" — meaning the ear doubling is extremely subtle and may not be visible on all specimens depending on strike quality and preservation, making the mintmark position and date placement more reliable diagnostic features for confirming this variety. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the New Orleans Mint in 1899 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. The 1899-O had a mintage of approximately 12.3 million pieces. The combination of three distinct diagnostic elements — doubled ear, near/low date, and high-left O mintmark — provides a multi-checkpoint attribution path, though the catalog's warning about the transitory nature of the ear doubling appropriately redirects collectors toward the more consistently visible date position and mintmark placement features.

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