1897-O VAM-5A

Description

Discovered by Dave Borofski in February 2006, VAM-5A for the 1897 New Orleans Mint Morgan Dollar is classified as 5A III21 C3d with the primary diagnostic of an O mintmark set high and to the left, combined with die breaks at the letter E on the reverse. The reverse (C3d) shows a die crack from the bottom of D extending over to E in ONE, continuing down to the rim on the left side of E with breaks above the rim — a progressive die failure that creates distinctive raised lines connecting the lettering to the rim. The "A" suffix on VAM-5A indicates a later die state of the original VAM-5, where the die breaks have progressed beyond the earlier variety's characteristics. The 1897-O Morgan Dollar was struck at the New Orleans Mint with a mintage of approximately 4.0 million pieces, a moderate figure for the series. The New Orleans Mint, which operated from 1838 to 1909, produced Morgan Dollars with distinctive characteristics that often include softer strikes and unique die polish patterns compared to Philadelphia or San Francisco issues. George T. Morgan's Liberty Head design, featuring the profile of Anna Willess Williams, was in its nineteenth year of production when this die was prepared. The high-and-left O mintmark position combined with developing die cracks makes this a doubly interesting variety for Morgan Dollar specialists.

External References