1897-O VAM-13

Description

Classified as privately made — a designation indicating a suspected counterfeit or copy rather than a genuine Mint product — the 1897-O VAM-13 was discovered in 2016 and is described as having a medium high O mint mark with near date. The obverse shows numerous raised rough casting flaws at the top periphery at E, I, right U, and right dot, with the obverse possibly a copy of a VAM-6 or VAM-7 near date genuine coin. On the reverse, a medium III O mint mark sits centered and slightly high with a C3 reverse design type, and numerous raised rough casting flaws appear at N-D in UNITED, ST in STATES, M-R in AMERICA, right star, LLA in DOLLAR, and O in ONE. The rough casting flaws are diagnostic of a die produced through casting rather than the hubbing process used at the U.S. Mint, which is the basis for the privately made designation. This piece shares the same reverse cast counterfeit die as the 1900-O VAM-60 and 1901-O VAM-58 counterfeits, linking the three through a common source of fraudulent production.

External References