1888-O VAM-7A

Description

VAM-7A of the 1888-O Morgan Dollar documents the first die state of the VAM-7 die marriage from New Orleans Mint production, as cataloged by the VAMWorld attribution community. The 1888-O is a notable date in the Morgan Dollar series partly because of its association with the "Hot Lips" variety (VAM-4), one of the most famous and visually dramatic doubled die varieties in all of Morgan Dollar collecting — where strong obverse doubling creates a clearly visible secondary lip and chin profile on Liberty. While VAM-7A is a separate die marriage from the celebrated Hot Lips variety, it exists within the same date-mint production context, and collectors examining 1888-O Morgan Dollars for the Hot Lips often encounter and catalog other varieties like VAM-7 in the process. George T. Morgan's design features the Lady Liberty portrait with agricultural crown on the obverse and the heraldic eagle reverse, struck at the New Orleans Mint, which operated from 1838 to 1909 and produced coins noted for their distinctive Southern provenance. The coin was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 mm and a reeded edge. The A suffix indicates this is the earliest documented die state for the VAM-7 die pair, before subsequent die wear, cracking, or polishing events created identifiable later stages. New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollars from the late 1880s are widely collected, and the VAM-7 die marriage represents one of the many die pairs employed during the facility's 1888 production run under the Bland-Allison Act silver purchase mandate.

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