1892-O VAM-15A

Description

Discovered by George Powell in April 2003, the 1892-O Morgan Dollar VAM-15A is classified as III28 C3h and carries a descriptive title that summarizes its four key diagnostics: Far Slanted Date, Doubled Arrows, O Tilted Right, and Lines in DO. The obverse die III2 shows a date set further right than normal and slanted with the right 0 positioned higher than the 1, while the reverse C3h die carries heavy horizontal die gouge lines through DO in DOLLAR. The far slanted date — where the date digits follow a pronounced diagonal rather than the standard horizontal baseline — is immediately visible and serves as the primary Pick-Up Point for rapid identification. The doubled arrows in the eagle's talons and the tilted O mintmark (rotated clockwise from its intended orientation) provide secondary confirmation, while the horizontal gouges through DO represent a die marker unique to this reverse die. George T. Morgan's Liberty portrait and heraldic eagle design, struck at the New Orleans Mint in 90% silver at 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm diameter, provide the canvas for these combined diagnostic features. A notation suggests this die pair may have a clashed version with letter transfer, indicating that obverse and reverse dies struck together without a planchet, causing design elements from each die to impress into the opposite die face. The 1892-O had a mintage of 2,744,000 pieces.

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