1882-O VAM-8

Description

Discovered by John Wendt in July 1966, VAM-8 of the 1882-O Morgan Dollar features an Open 2 in the date and a repunched mintmark showing O/O to the right. The reverse exhibits the original O mintmark position visible on the right side and top of the opening, where the initial punch was placed before the final strike repositioned the letter. Repunched mintmarks are among the most collectible Morgan Dollar varieties because they provide direct evidence of the hand-punching process used at branch mints, where each working die received its mintmark individually. The New Orleans Mint, reopened in 1879 after its Civil War closure, produced Morgan Dollars through 1904, and its engravers' manual process inevitably produced positional variations. John Wendt was an early researcher in the VAM effort later formalized by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis. Cataloged as plate 8 III2 1 - C3g, this variety combines a date numeral distinctive and a mintmark variety on a single coin. Struck in 90% silver and 10% copper at 26.73 grams, this New Orleans issue rewards careful examination under magnification.

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