1891-O VAM-3

Description

Discovered by George Mallis in June 1965, the 1891-O VAM-3 is one of the earliest cataloged mintmark position varieties in the VAM system for the New Orleans Morgan Dollar designed by George T. Morgan. Mallis, who co-authored the foundational VAM reference with Leroy Van Allen, identified this variety during the initial comprehensive survey of Morgan Dollar die pairings. Cataloged as III2 1 - C3b with die-pair designation 181, the obverse carries a closed 9 in the date — a detail where the tail of the numeral curves inward to nearly or fully close the counter space. The reverse is defined by a medium O mintmark that is tilted right of its normal upright orientation, a positioning variation that occurred when the mintmark punch was applied to the working die at an angle. Notably, this C3b reverse die was shared across multiple varieties: VAM-3, VAM-4, and VAM-4A all employ the same reverse, paired with different obverse dies. This die-sharing pattern reveals the Mint's economical practice of continuing to use a serviceable reverse die with successive obverse dies as each wore out, providing researchers with a window into New Orleans Mint die management during 1891 production.

External References