1896-O VAM-15

Description

Discovered by Steve Sabella in November 1980, this VAM-15 variety of the 1896 New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar combines a near date position with doubled 96 digits and a mintmark tilted right. Classified as obverse die III29 with a C3c reverse, the doubled 96 shows very slight doubling at the top outside of both numerals, while the date is set further left than normal. The tilted O mintmark adds another dimension to this variety, indicating the mintmark punch was applied at a slight angle during die preparation at the New Orleans Mint. The 1896-O Morgan Dollar has a mintage of 4.9 million pieces, making it a moderately scarce issue from the New Orleans Mint, which operated from 1838 until its closure in 1909 and produced coins valued for their historical Southern provenance. The near date positioning, where the digits sit closer to the rim than typical, is a die preparation characteristic that VAM researchers track because different punch positions help identify specific working dies. Steve Sabella was one of the early contributors to VAM research in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the Van Allen-Mallis catalog was expanding rapidly through discoveries by collectors nationwide. The combination of three distinct characteristics — near date, doubled digits, and tilted mintmark — makes this a multi-feature VAM of interest to advanced Morgan Dollar variety specialists.

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