1892-CC VAM-4A

Description

O.C. Smith Jr. discovered this Carson City Mint Morgan Dollar variety in October 2004, identifying both a repunched mintmark and a multiply clashed obverse die. Cataloged as VAM-4A with classification III2 1 - C3c (CC/CC Down, Multiple Clashed n) and die pairing 177, the obverse shows a clashed die with faint partial incuse impressions of multiple lowercase n's from the word "In" on the reverse, transferred next to Liberty's neck during clashing events when the dies struck each other without a planchet. The CC/CC Down designation on the reverse indicates the Carson City mintmark was repunched with the second impression shifted downward from the original position. The 1892-CC Morgan Dollar is one of the final Carson City Mint issues, struck in the penultimate year before the facility closed permanently in 1893. Carson City coins carry a premium among collectors due to the mint's short operational period from 1870 to 1893 and its romantic association with the Comstock Lode silver and gold mining operations in Nevada. The combination of a repunched CC mintmark and multiply clashed obverse on this scarce Carson City date makes VAM-4A particularly desirable to advanced Morgan Dollar variety collectors. Multiple clashing events — indicated by the "multiple" qualifier — suggest this die pair experienced repeated operational incidents.

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