1892-CC VAM-12

Description

Discovered in October 2002 by Mark Kimpton, the 1892-CC VAM-12 Morgan Dollar is classified as 12 III2 7 - C3e (Doubled Profile & Left Stars, Dropped C) — a multi-feature variety combining obverse hub doubling with a reverse mintmark anomaly. The obverse (III2 11) presents Liberty's head profile doubled from the LIBERTY band front down to mid-neck, left stars and the E doubled towards the rim, and the top of the Phrygian cap doubled — an extensive doubling pattern affecting multiple elements of Morgan's portrait across a broad swath of the obverse die face. The reverse (C3e) features a dropped C in the CC mintmark, where the right C is set lower than the left C — a hand-punching anomaly created when the engraver applied the two C mintmark punches at slightly different vertical positions on the reverse working die. A cataloging note observes that this reverse die was also found paired with the 1892-CC VAM-6 obverse, establishing a die lineage connection that helps VAM researchers map the production sequence and die usage patterns at the Carson City Mint. The Morgan Dollar was struck at the Carson City Mint in 1892 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The Carson City Mint, operating in Nevada from 1870 to 1893, produced Morgan Dollars in generally lower mintages than Philadelphia, New Orleans, or San Francisco, making CC-mintmarked specimens particularly desirable. The 1892-CC was one of the final two years of Carson City Morgan Dollar production, and the combination of extensive profile doubling with the dropped C mintmark makes this a multi-diagnostic variety that rewards careful examination of both obverse and reverse.

External References