1901-O VAM-23A

Description

Brought to light by Brian Raines in March 2006, this New Orleans Mint 1901 Morgan Dollar is designated VAM-23A under die classification III21 with reverse die pairing C4/C3i, described as 2 Olive Reverse, Clashed Obverse n and st, and bearing a die pairing number of 181. The obverse exhibits a clashed die with two transferred reverse inscription elements: a partial incuse letter n from IN appears next to Liberty's neck, and partial incuse letters st from TRUST are visible in the right hair vee of the lower hair edge. These clash impressions were created when the dies struck each other without a planchet between them, transferring reverse lettering onto the obverse die face as incuse impressions. The reverse die pairing notation C4/C3i indicates the 2 Olive Reverse configuration. The presence of two identifiable clashed inscription fragments in different obverse locations makes VAM-23A particularly useful for studying die clash mechanics, as the n near the neck and st in the hair vee demonstrate how different portions of the reverse inscription contact specific areas of the obverse during an unobstructed die clash event on this New Orleans Mint issue. =1901-O VAM-23A 2 Olive Reverse, Clashed Obverse n & st= Discovered by Brian Raines, March 2006.

External References