1901-O VAM-5

Description

Discovered by Richard Deters in September 1973, the 1901-O VAM-5 "O Tilted Right" Morgan dollar identifies a reverse die where the O mintmark tilts noticeably to the right of its standard vertical orientation. Cataloged as 5 III2 1 - C4c (O Tilted Right) with a question mark indicating the classification may carry provisional elements, this variety pairs an Obverse III2 1 with a Reverse C4c featuring the distinctive tilted mintmark. George T. Morgan's silver dollar was produced at the New Orleans Mint with an approximate mintage of 13.32 million coins in 1901, a robust output that generated numerous die pairs and considerable variety potential. Richard Deters' September 1973 discovery places this attribution among the foundational VAM identifications established during the early years of systematic Morgan dollar die variety study. Mintmark tilt on New Orleans Morgan dollars results from the hand-punching process used to add the O letter to each working die — an engraver positioned a steel mintmark punch against the die face and struck it with a hammer, and variations in the angle of punch placement produced tilts that range from subtle to dramatic. The C4c reverse classification identifies a specific die type within the comprehensive reverse die taxonomy, with the tilted mintmark serving as its primary diagnostic characteristic. The provisional question mark in the catalog entry suggests that aspects of this attribution — possibly the precise degree of tilt or the relationship to other 1901-O varieties — awaited further confirmation at the time of documentation. Emission sequence data for both obverse and reverse dies remains undocumented, leaving the production chronology of this die pair as an open research question. Collectors examining 1901-O Morgan dollars for this variety should compare the mintmark angle against known normal specimens under moderate magnification, evaluating the clockwise rotation of the O relative to the vertical axis.

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