1883-O VAM-17

Description

Discovered by Francis Davis in May 1977, VAM-17 on the 1883-O Morgan Dollar is characterized by a low-punched 3 in the date and a mint mark tilted slightly to the left. The obverse die, classified III2 8, shows the digit 3 positioned lower than normal with its bottom close to the rim — evidence that the date logotype was set at an atypical depth during die preparation. The reverse die, classified C3l, reveals the O mint mark from the New Orleans Mint seated at a slight leftward tilt, a positioning variation that occurred because mint marks were individually hand-punched into each working die during this era. The plate notation 17 III2 8 with C3l places this variety within the Van Allen-Mallis cataloging system that has documented hundreds of die varieties across the Morgan Dollar series since Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis published their foundational reference in 1971. New Orleans struck approximately 8.7 million Morgan Dollars in 1883, and the O mint mark varieties from this date offer collectors a rich field for cherrypicking. VAM-17 carries an importance rating of 181, reflecting its position within the broader 1883-O die study.

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