1891-O VAM-15A

Description

The 1891-O VAM-15A, cataloged as the Doubled Profile and Ear, Die Break Left Star and Above ED variety, was discovered by Brian Raines in August 2002. The obverse shows doubling on the profile and ear. Progressive die cracks appear at the left stars, with a displaced field break at the 7th star — a significant die failure producing a raised area adjacent to the star. On the reverse, a heavy die crack runs through the word UNITED, bisecting the lettering in a manner visible without magnification on late-die-state examples. The combination of obverse displaced field break and the heavy reverse crack through UNITED places this variety among the more dramatically die-fatigued Morgan Dollar attributions. The 1891-O Morgan Dollar is a 90% silver coin struck at the New Orleans Mint during one of the final high-volume production years before the series was temporarily discontinued in 1904. Displaced field breaks — where the die metal adjacent to a crack is physically elevated — are among the most visually striking forms of die failure and lend substantial diagnostic value to VAM-15A.

External References