1884-O VAM-22

Description

Discovered by Oscar Simpson in March 1977, the 1884-O VAM-22 Morgan Dollar carries the classification III2 8 · C3o (Very Far Slanted Low Date, O/O Tilted) with die pairing number 181. The obverse (III2 8) features a date set much further right than normal and distinctly slanted, with the 1 positioned very close to the rim denticles — the "Very Far Slanted Low Date" designation capturing both the extreme lateral displacement and the angular tilt of the date numerals relative to the standard horizontal baseline. This extreme date positioning represents one of the more dramatic hand-punched date variations in the 1884-O die marriage catalog. The reverse (C3o) presents an O/O repunched mintmark: the mintmark shows two distinct impressions, with the original O visible as a vertical bar in the right half of the opening, indicating the first punch was placed further right before the final O was struck in its corrected position. The mintmark is centered laterally but tilted to the left, adding a rotational component to the repunching that creates a three-dimensional diagnostic — the lateral repositioning plus the angular tilt. Oscar Simpson's 1977 discovery came during the early years of systematic Morgan Dollar die variety documentation, a pioneering period when collectors like Simpson were establishing the observational standards that would later be formalized in the VAM classification system. George T. Morgan's design was struck at the New Orleans Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1884-O had a substantial mintage of approximately 9.73 million pieces. The combination of extreme date positioning with a tilted repunched mintmark creates a variety with dual-side diagnostic features that are both independently significant and mutually reinforcing for attribution confidence.

External References