1899-O VAM-2

Description

Few Morgan Dollar varieties carry the historical weight of a discovery credited to George Mallis himself, and VAM-2 of the 1899-O Morgan Dollar bears exactly that distinction from his June 1965 research. Mallis, together with Leroy Van Allen, created the VAM classification system that transformed Morgan and Peace Dollar variety collecting into a rigorous, systematically organized discipline. The obverse displays Closed 9s in the date, where the loops of both nines are filled or nearly closed, distinguishing this punch from the Open 9 configuration on other 1899-O pairings. The reverse shows the O mintmark tilted slightly right and set slightly high, a positional variation from the hand-punching process at the New Orleans Mint. Together these features provide multiple diagnostic points for attribution. Cataloged as plate 2 III2 1 - C3b, the variety occupies an early position in the 1899-O census, consistent with its early discovery date. Struck in 90% silver and 10% copper at 26.73 grams, this New Orleans Morgan Dollar connects the collector to the very origins of the VAM classification effort. =1899-O VAM-2 Closed 9's= Discovered by George Mallis, June 1965.

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