1899-O VAM-23

Description

Martin Field discovered this Morgan Dollar die variety in August 1980 and cataloged it as VAM-23, identifying the 1899-O with closed 9's in the date. Classified as III2 2 under the C3a reverse pairing — die marriage 189 — the obverse is described as a normal die whose distinguishing feature is the closed loops on both 9 digits in the date. The reverse carries a C3a die with a centered and upright O mint mark from the New Orleans Mint. However, the VAM cataloging community has since noted that open versus closed date digits are considered obsolete criteria for VAM listings — this distinction was once used to differentiate die pairs but has been superseded by more diagnostically reliable criteria such as die cracks, clashing, and die polishing characteristics. The 1899-O Morgan Dollar had a mintage of approximately 12.29 million pieces, making it one of the more available New Orleans dates. The New Orleans Mint operated from 1838 to 1909 and produced Morgan Dollars from 1879 through 1904. VAM-23 represents a historical artifact in the cataloging system, documenting a time when date digit morphology was considered significant enough to warrant separate die variety status.

External References