1898-O VAM-28

Description

Discovered in December 2015 by Nate Mailliard and cataloged under plate designation 28 III21 - C3g, this New Orleans Morgan Dollar is identified by a High O mintmark set to the left of normal position. The obverse carries a date placed at the left edge of its normal lateral position, while the reverse displays a large O mintmark punched noticeably higher than standard and tilted upright to the left — a combination of positional anomalies that distinguishes VAM-28 from the dozens of other varieties cataloged for this date. The III designation for the mintmark indicates it was classified as a Type III O in the VAM system's mintmark typology. Assigned Importance 181 and Rarity R-5, this variety falls within the estimated surviving population of 1,300 to 3,000 pieces. The New Orleans Mint produced Morgan Dollars from 1879 through its 1909 closure, and the hand-punched O mintmark was subject to considerable positional variation — high, low, tilted, micro, and doubled examples have all been documented. Nate Mailliard's 2015 discovery added this variety to an already extensive 1898-O VAM census that reflects sustained collector interest in New Orleans Morgan Dollar die varieties.

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