1902-O VAM-17A
Error
Description
Discovered by Calvin Cherry in September 2000, this New Orleans Morgan dollar is cataloged as VAM-17A under classification III2 10 with a C4/C3d reverse, titled Doubled Ear, 2 Olive Reverse, Pitted A, Die Gouges 1 and Star, carrying a rarity rating of 181. The obverse shows slight doubling at the very bottom outside of Liberty's ear, with the date set further left than normal and a closed 9. The reverse features raised dots surrounding the A in DOLLAR caused by die rust pitting. The emission sequence places this in a chain with VAM-17B, VAM-17A, and VAM-17C, all from the exact same die pair at different deterioration stages. This progression lets collectors study advancing pitting across three cataloged varieties. The ear doubling is subtle, but the leftward date position and closed 9 narrow candidates quickly. The pitted A provides the most immediate visual diagnostic, appearing as a halo of raised dots under magnification.
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