1891-O VAM-13

Description

Discovered by Calvin Cherry in September 2000, the 1891-O VAM-13 "Doubled Ear" Morgan dollar identifies subtle doubling on Liberty's ear on George T. Morgan's obverse design. Cataloged as 13 III28 · C3a (Doubled Ear) with obverse die number (181), this variety presents the ear slightly doubled on both the right inside and right outside contours, creating a faint secondary outline that traces the ear's shape with minimal displacement. The III28 obverse die classification distinguishes this die from the more commonly encountered obverse types for the 1891-O date, providing an additional identification checkpoint beyond the ear doubling itself. New Orleans struck approximately 7.95 million Morgan dollars in 1891, among the lower mintages for the O-mint facility during the Morgan dollar era, placing this date in the moderately scarce category. Ear doubling on Morgan dollars represents one of the more challenging diagnostics in VAM attribution, as the ear occupies a small area of the design where even slight wear or imprecise strike can obscure or mimic the doubled contour. The "slightly doubled" qualifier indicates the displacement is modest, requiring careful examination under at least 15-20x magnification with strong directional lighting to resolve the secondary ear outline against the primary. Calvin Cherry's September 2000 discovery came during a productive period of Morgan dollar VAM research when systematic examination of lower-mintage dates was expanding the catalog beyond the heavily studied common Philadelphia issues. The C3a reverse pairing and DPIS entries remain unlisted, while emission sequence data for both dies awaits documentation. Collectors pursuing this variety should focus on the right side of Liberty's ear under magnification, tilting the coin to catch the faint doubled contour where the secondary impression creates a slightly wider or offset ear profile.

External References