1898-O VAM-18

Description

Discovered by Martin Field in December 1981, the 1898-O VAM-18 "Doubled First 8" Morgan dollar records a subtle doubled impression visible at the top inside of both loops of the first 8 in the date. Cataloged as 18 III2 13 - C3a (Doubled First 8) with die alignment at 181 degrees, this variety documents a date numeral anomaly on George T. Morgan's silver dollar design struck at the New Orleans Mint. The Obverse II2 13 designation identifies a specific obverse die type where the first 8 received a secondary punch or hub impression slightly offset from the primary, creating doubled contours visible at the interior curves of the digit's upper and lower loops. New Orleans produced approximately 4.44 million Morgan dollars in 1898, one of the lower O-mint production totals of the late 1890s, though still sufficient to generate numerous working die pairs. Martin Field's December 1981 discovery contributes to the body of date-related VAM attributions where subtle punch positioning differences distinguish individual working dies. The doubling at the top inside of both loops suggests the displacement was predominantly vertical, shifting the secondary impression upward so that the interior curve of each loop shows a shadow line above the primary impression. The C3a reverse classification pairs this obverse with a standard New Orleans Mint reverse die type, confirming the variety's diagnostic interest is concentrated on the obverse date area. Emission sequence data remains undocumented, leaving the production chronology for this die pair as an open research question. Collectors should examine the first 8 in the date under at least 15-20x magnification, using angled lighting to accentuate the doubled contours at the top interior of each loop where the secondary impression creates subtle but confirmable doubling against the primary digit profile.

External References