1900-O VAM-18

Description

Among the earliest documented Morgan Dollar varieties by attribution date, VAM-18 was discovered by Bill Fivaz in September 1974 and classified as III2 12 C3a. This 1900 New Orleans Mint issue features a near date positioned further left than normal, with both the 1 and 9 exhibiting doubled elements. The 1 shows doubling as a thin horizontal line below the bottom crossbar, while the 9 displays a thin curved line below the bottom loop and at the left bottom outside the upper loop. These fine doubled impressions indicate a slight hub shift sufficient to affect date digits without producing dramatic spread. Bill Fivaz's 1974 documentation places this among the foundational VAM attributions — the catalog was in its formative years during the mid-1970s, and early discoveries established the classification methodology that would grow to encompass thousands of varieties. The 1900-O was struck in large quantity at New Orleans, and its substantial surviving population gives variety collectors a reasonable chance of locating this near date variety through careful examination.

External References