1884-O VAM-16

Description

Discovered by Leroy Van Allen in January 1974, this Very Far Date variety on the 1884 New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar features a date placement set considerably further to the right than the standard position, a diagnostic immediately apparent when compared side-by-side with normal-date 1884-O specimens. Cataloged as VAM-16 under the Van Allen-Mallis classification system with die pairing III2 5 - C3a and Rarity Scale 181, this variety occupies a distinctive niche among the many known die marriages for this date and mint. The obverse die is designated III2 5 with the date shifted noticeably rightward from its expected centering below Liberty's portrait. Importantly, VAM-16, VAM-16A, and VAM-16B share neither obverse nor reverse dies, meaning each represents a completely independent die pairing despite their sequential catalog numbering — a fact that underscores the complexity of New Orleans Mint die usage in the 1880s. The 1884-O Morgan Dollar is one of the most celebrated dates in the series because enormous quantities survived in Treasury vaults, including bags released from the famous 1962-1964 Treasury hoard, which transformed this once-scarce date into a conditionally available issue. For VAM specialists, the Very Far Date position on VAM-16 provides one of the most visually obvious positional diagnostics in the 1884-O die marriage catalog.

External References