1891-O VAM-9A

Description

Discovered by David Close in May 2005 and documented by VAMWorld, the 1891-O VAM-9A is a Morgan dollar variety struck at the New Orleans Mint, designated as Far Date, High O, Die Break E. Classified as 9A III24 - C3e with a rarity rating of 181, this variety features a progressive die break that makes it of particular interest to die state collectors. The Morgan dollar was composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. The New Orleans Mint, which operated from 1838 to 1909 and produced coins prized for their historical Southern provenance, struck 7,954,529 Morgan dollars in 1891, a moderate production figure for this facility. The reverse die, classified as C3e, displays the variety's principal diagnostic: a die crack running through the tops of the letters UNITED, with the crack also extending upward to the rim above the letter E, where a displaced field break has developed. Displaced field breaks represent an advanced stage of die deterioration beyond simple cracking, where the fractured die section has shifted enough to create a raised, featureless area on struck coins. A critical cataloging note identifies VAM-9A as an early die state of VAM-9B, meaning the two VAM numbers represent the same die pair at different stages of deterioration — VAM-9A captures the die before the break fully developed, while VAM-9B represents a later, more deteriorated condition. An additional attribution note indicates the O mintmark is described as "ALMOST high," not quite meeting the full high-O specification but positioned noticeably above the standard mintmark height. The far date placement, where the date numerals are positioned farther from the rim than normal, combines with the near-high O mintmark to create a die pairing that is distinctive on both obverse and reverse.

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