1896-O VAM-5

Description

Bearing special historical significance, VAM-5 of the 1896-O Morgan Dollar was discovered by George Mallis in July 1964, making it one of the earliest documented varieties in the system. Mallis, alongside Leroy Van Allen, co-created the VAM classification system itself, so a variety bearing his name as discoverer dates to the very origins of systematic Morgan Dollar variety cataloging. Cataloged as 5 III2 2 C3a, the obverse shows two distinct instances of date doubling: the numeral 1 is doubled slightly on the surface below its upper crossbar, while the 6 is doubled at its top outside edge. The doubled date numerals resulted from slight hub displacement during die preparation, with both the opening and closing digits of the date receiving secondary impressions. The New Orleans Mint struck Morgan Dollars from 1879 through 1904, and the 1896-O is considered a semi-key date with a modest mintage that makes it challenging in higher grades. Struck in 90% silver and 10% copper at 26.73 grams, this variety connects directly to the founding era of VAM collecting through its discoverer.

External References