1899-O VAM-30
Error
Description
Discovered by Pete Anderson in September 1997 and classified as 30 III218 C3b, this 1899-O Morgan Dollar variety displays doubled 189 in the date combined with a high O mintmark tilted to the right. The obverse (III218) shows doubling across three of the four date digits — the 1 is doubled on the right side of the upper serif, the 8 is doubled on the right sides of its loops, and the 9 is doubled on the lower and right portions. The reverse carries the O mintmark positioned high and tilted right, providing an immediately visible mintmark diagnostic. The combination of a three-digit date doubling with a distinctive mintmark position offers both obverse and reverse attribution points. Pete Anderson's 1997 discovery added this as the thirtieth variety in the 1899-O VAM catalog. Struck in 90% silver at the New Orleans Mint, the 1899-O is a common date in the Morgan Dollar series frequently encountered in original Treasury bag holdings, which provides ample opportunity for cherrypicking undiscovered specimens of known varieties.
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