1899-O VAM-22

Description

Discovered by Jay Galst in February 1980, this 1899-O Morgan Dollar VAM-22 is designated Near Date with Doubled 899 and High O. The obverse die, classified III2 12, shows the digits 89 doubled slightly at their bottoms and the second 9 doubled on top, with the date positioned further left than normal — a characteristic that earns the Near Date designation. On the reverse, die type C3e carries a mintmark set upright and placed very high relative to the eagle's tail feathers, a positioning that distinguishes it from other 1899-O reverse die marriages. The die pair identification sequence is DPIS B23C. George T. Morgan's Liberty head design served the New Orleans Mint well during the late 1890s, and the 1899-O issue saw substantial mintages that have provided variety collectors with ample material to search. Doubled date digits on Morgan Dollars require careful examination under magnification, as the separation between the original and doubled impressions is often slight — particularly on the bottoms of the 8 and 9, where the doubling on this die is most readily confirmed.

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