1900-O VAM-20

Description

Documented by Leonard Hinckley in February 1974, VAM-20 is among the better-known die varieties in the 1900-O Morgan Dollar series, carrying the revised classification III2 14 C3l. Its obverse doubling affects the 900 component of the date: the 9 shows extra metal at the lower right outside of its lower loop, the left 0 is doubled at the bottom outside, and the right 0 carries doubling at the top outside. The 9 is also of the open-9 type, a pre-existing hub characteristic that aids identification. The date tilts slightly, with the 1 positioned closer to the rim than the right 0 — a quick screener before committing to loupe work. Two bar die chips are among the most accessible diagnostics: a large chip sits on the surface of the 9's left side and a matching chip appears on the left side of the left 0, visible at 5x without difficulty. A set of polishing lines in the wing-neck gap rounds out the reverse markers. This 90% silver dollar from the New Orleans Mint represents an intermediate-difficulty attribution — the date chip is easy once known, while fully confirming the doubling positions benefits from 7x–10x glass. =1900-O VAM-20 Doubled 900, High O= Discovered by Leonard Hinckley, February 1974.

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