1901-O VAM-31

Description

Cataloged under the VAM designation III2 6 - C3c, this 1901-O Morgan Dollar VAM-31 was discovered by Martin Field in August 1982 and is identified by its slanted date and tilted mint mark. The obverse die, classified III2 6, exhibits a distinctly slanted date where the digits 901 sit noticeably further from the rim than the first 1, creating a downward slope across the four-digit date that is visible without magnification on well-preserved specimens. In the VAM classification system, the Roman numeral III designates the obverse die type, the Arabic numeral 2 indicates the specific die variation, and the number 6 identifies the date position variant. The reverse carries the designation C3b, featuring an O mint mark tilted to the right — a positioning anomaly created when the mint mark punch was applied to the reverse die at a slight angle rather than perfectly upright. The New Orleans Mint, which struck 1901-O Morgan Dollars in substantial quantities, occasionally produced dies with tilted mint marks due to the hand-punching process used to add the O to each reverse working die. VAM-31 is recorded as entry 181 in the comprehensive VAM catalog. Collectors should examine the date alignment relative to the rim and the rightward lean of the O mint mark for attribution.

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