1899-O VAM-34

Description

Discovered by Herb Zepke in January 2000, the 1899-O VAM-34 features an O mint mark that is set both high and shifted to the left of its standard position — a dual positional variation resulting from the manual placement of the mint mark punch into the reverse die. The reverse is classified as C3h, with the "h" suffix distinguishing this specific high-left mint mark configuration from other O punch positions documented on 1899-O reverse dies. The obverse uses a Type III2 die 1, and the die pair identification system records this as DPIS C3/B45RE. The high-left O position represents a more complex departure from standard placement than a simple vertical or lateral shift alone, as the die sinker both raised and moved the punch leftward during the single impression event. Herb Zepke's January 2000 discovery added this positional variety to the 1899-O's substantial VAM roster — the high VAM number (34) reflects the extensive documentation of die varieties for this New Orleans Mint date. The 1899-O Morgan Dollar was produced in large quantities, and the availability of specimens has enabled thorough die-by-die examination over the decades since the Van Allen-Mallis reference was published. Mint mark position varieties remain fundamental to Morgan Dollar VAM collecting, as each O placement documents an individual die sinker's work.

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