1890-O VAM-14

Description

Martin Field discovered VAM-14 of the 1890-O Morgan Dollar in October 1979, identifying an obverse with the date set further right than normal and a reverse with the mint mark set high and upright. Classified III2 5 - C3b (Far Date, High O), this variety pairs two distinct positional anomalies — one involving the date placement on the obverse and the other involving the O mintmark positioning on the reverse — into a single documented die pair. The "far date" designation means the date logotype was punched into the obverse working die at a position noticeably to the right of the standard location used on most 1890-O dies, creating a visual shift that experienced Morgan Dollar collectors can often detect with the unaided eye. The "High O" reverse places the New Orleans mint mark above its typical vertical position relative to the eagle's tail feathers, and the upright orientation (as opposed to tilted left or right) further distinguishes this particular reverse die. An important catalog note clarifies that VAM-14, VAM-14A, and VAM-14B are all unique die pairs with no common dies shared among them — meaning each represents a completely independent obverse-reverse combination, and the sequential lettering reflects cataloging convention rather than shared die ancestry. The 1890-O Morgan Dollar was produced at the New Orleans Mint with a mintage of 10,701,000, struck in 90% silver at the standard 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter. New Orleans Morgan Dollars are particularly popular among VAM collectors due to the wide positional variation in the hand-punched O mintmark.

External References