1899-O VAM-7

Description

Discovered by Leonard Hinckley in February 1974, the 1899-O VAM-7 is designated "High O" for the unusually elevated placement of the New Orleans mint mark on the reverse. The VAM plate notation reads 7 III2 1 - C3e, pairing obverse die III2 1 with reverse C3e, on which the O mint mark is set both upright and very high relative to standard position. On the obverse, some specimens exhibit die chips in the lower loop of the second 9 — a secondary die marker that aids attribution when present, though die state variation means not all examples show it. Mint mark placement varieties on Morgan Dollars arose because individual mint marks were hand-punched into working dies, and positioning variations were inevitable. The high O distinguishes this die pair from other 1899-O reverses carrying the mint mark in a conventional position. Hinckley's 1974 attribution placed this variety among documented New Orleans die pairs during the formative period of VAM cataloging. Collectors should compare mint mark height against reference images to identify this variety.

External References