1883-O VAM-5

Description

Leroy Van Allen himself — co-creator of the VAM classification system — discovered this variety in December 1965, making it one of the earliest documented Morgan Dollar die varieties and a foundational entry in what would become the most comprehensive die variety catalog in American numismatics. The 1883-O VAM-5 is classified as O/O Right and High, with technical designation III2 1 - C3d and die pairing number 181. The reverse die (C3d) shows the O mint mark repunched, with the original impression visible at the top and right side of the opening — indicating the mintmark punch was applied twice, with the first application shifted to the right and upward from the final position. An important catalog note reveals that this variety was subsequently relisted as VAM-16, meaning the original VAM-5 designation was retired and the variety reassigned to a new number as the catalog was reorganized and expanded. Such relisting events occur periodically as the VAM system evolves and new information requires renumbering to maintain logical consistency within date-specific listings. The New Orleans Mint struck approximately 8.73 million Morgan Dollars in 1883, a substantial mintage from a facility known for producing some of the most varied mintmark positions in the series. Van Allen's 1965 discovery predates the formal publication of the VAM cataloging system (the first edition appeared in 1971), and this variety represents the kind of foundational research that built the classification framework now used by thousands of collectors worldwide.

External References