1901-O VAM-14

Description

Discovered by Jim Baxter in February 1979, the 1901-O VAM-14 Morgan Dollar is classified as III2 7 · C4/C3c (Near Date, 2 Olive Reverse) with die pairing number 181. The obverse (III2 7) features a date set further left than the normal position — a placement variation that resulted from the date punch being applied slightly off-center during individual die preparation at the New Orleans Mint. The reverse (C4/C3c) presents the defining characteristic of this die marriage: an extra olive positioned to the right of the olive connected to the branch, creating the "2 Olive Reverse" designation. Additional reverse doubling appears at the base of the top and left olive leaf cluster, on the right of the eagle's nostril, and at the back of the lower arrowhead — multiple hub doubling manifestations distributed across the reverse die face. The mintmark is described as upright and slightly high within the wreath. The extra olive feature is one of the more visually prominent reverse anomalies in VAM collecting, as the additional fruit element stands out clearly against the wreath's botanical design. George T. Morgan designed this silver dollar with Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap on the obverse and a heraldic eagle grasping arrows and an olive branch on the reverse. Struck at the New Orleans Mint in 90% silver and 10% copper, the coin weighs 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. The 1901-O had a mintage of approximately 13.3 million pieces, making it accessible in lower grades, though specimens with clearly attributable near-date positioning and the doubled olive require careful examination. The combination of an off-center date with a complex doubled reverse wreath provides collectors with multiple attribution checkpoints when examining potential VAM-14 candidates.

External References