1887-O VAM-26

Description

VAM-26 of the 1887-O Morgan Dollar documents the twenty-sixth identified die variety from the New Orleans Mint's 1887 production, reflecting the extensive depth of VAM die variety research conducted on this Gilded Age date-mint combination. The high VAM number indicates that at least twenty-five other distinct die marriages have been cataloged for the 1887-O, a testament to both the substantial production volume at New Orleans during the late 1880s and the dedicated community of VAM researchers who have examined these coins over decades. The 1887-O Morgan Dollar was struck during a period when the Bland-Allison Act continued to mandate massive silver dollar production, filling Treasury vaults with millions of coins that often went directly into storage without ever circulating — many of which would later emerge in the great Treasury releases of the 1960s. George T. Morgan's design, now nine years into its production run by 1887, had become thoroughly familiar to die sinkers and Mint employees, and the New Orleans facility employed numerous die pairs throughout each year's production cycle. Struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, the coin weighs 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and features a reeded edge. The New Orleans Mint's coins from this era carry the O mintmark below the wreath bow on the reverse, and their characteristically softer strike compared to Philadelphia issues gives them a distinctive appearance that many collectors find appealing. VAM-26 occupies a position deep in the 1887-O variety census, where die-specific characteristics such as date position, mintmark placement variations, die cracks, and polishing differences distinguish each documented die marriage from its neighbors in the catalog.

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