1888-O VAM-3

Description

George Mallis himself — co-author of the foundational VAM reference — discovered this die pair in July 1964, lending it significant provenance within the Morgan Dollar variety community. Cataloged as 3 III2 2 - C3a (Doubled 18-8) (181), the obverse exhibits strong doubling on multiple date digits: the 1 is doubled strongly at top left and on the left side, the first 8 is doubled at top, and the third 8 shows strong doubling at the bottom. This multi-digit doubling resulted from misalignment during the hubbing process, where the hub was impressed into the die at a slightly different position on the second strike, creating overlapping images of the date numerals. The 1888-O was struck at the New Orleans Mint, which operated from 1838 to 1909 and produced Morgan Dollars with characteristics sometimes distinct from Philadelphia and San Francisco output, including variations in striking pressure and mint mark positioning. With over 12.1 million pieces produced, the 1888-O is a common date in the series, but this VAM-3 die pair with its boldly doubled date commands a premium among variety specialists. The absence of a DPIS entry suggests this die pair may warrant further die state documentation.

External References