1900-O VAM-2D

Description

Discovered by Ben Wengel in December 2008, the 1900-O VAM-2D Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 2 - C3a (Open 9, Die Break B, Polishing Lines in Wing) with die pairing number 189. The obverse (III2 2) features the "Open 9" date characteristic — a specific formation of the numeral 9 where the upper loop does not fully close — along with a die crack running through the tops of URIBUS and progressing into a die break at the top left of the B in PLURIBUS. This die crack system documents progressive structural failure across the motto inscription area, with the crack advancing from a simple fracture line through the letter tops into a more serious die break where displaced metal at the B creates a raised anomaly on struck coins. The reverse (C3a) exhibits diagonal die scratch lines at the lower inside of the eagle's left wing near the leg — polishing evidence from die maintenance — along with some slightly doubled leaves at the lower left of the wreath. The Morgan Dollar was designed by George T. Morgan and struck at the New Orleans Mint in 1900, composed of 90% silver and 10% copper at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1900-O had a mintage of approximately 12.6 million pieces, making it a relatively common date in terms of total production, though varieties with specific die deterioration patterns like the VAM-2D's crack progression through PLURIBUS represent a small fraction of surviving coins. Wengel's 2008 discovery demonstrates the ongoing identification of new die states within well-studied Morgan Dollar dates, and the three-feature diagnostic — open 9, die break at B, and wing polishing lines — provides multiple attribution checkpoints for confident identification.

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