1902-O VAM-19

Description

Discovered by Jim Baxter in January 1979, this 1902-O Morgan Dollar variety — classified as VAM-19 under designation III2 11 / C4-C3f with Rarity-(181) — exhibits both a doubled profile on the obverse and an extra olive on the reverse. The obverse die (III2 11) shows a distinctly doubled profile of Liberty with the date set further left than normal positioning, while the reverse die (C4/C3f) carries an extra olive detail that deviates from standard die production. The New Orleans Mint struck Morgan Dollars through 1904, making the 1902-O one of the later dates in the O-mint Morgan run before the series halted until 1921. New Orleans Mint operations during this period relied on dies shipped from Philadelphia, and the doubled profile suggests a hubbing alignment issue during die preparation. Doubled profiles on Morgan Dollars are among the more dramatic VAM features because the displacement affects the entire portrait of Liberty rather than isolated letters or digits. The combination of a doubled obverse profile with an extra olive reverse makes VAM-19 a die marriage of particular interest to specialists pursuing both obverse and reverse diagnostics on the same coin.

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