1892-O VAM-3

Description

Discovered by Guy Messing in October 1975, the 1892-O VAM-3 "Closed 9" Morgan dollar identifies a specific numeral punch characteristic in the date on this New Orleans issue. Cataloged as 3 III2 3 · C3a (Closed 9) with die pair number 181, the obverse III2 3 die features a 9 in the date with a fully closed loop, while the reverse C3a carries a centered and upright mintmark — two diagnostics that together define this die marriage. George T. Morgan's Liberty head design places the date below the neck truncation, where the style of individual numeral punches varied because the Philadelphia die shop maintained multiple sets of date punches that differed in subtle details such as whether the 9's loop was open or closed. New Orleans struck approximately 2.74 million Morgan dollars in 1892, one of the lower O-mint outputs that preceded the severe economic disruption of the Panic of 1893. The closed 9 diagnostic — where the loop at the top of the numeral forms a complete circle without a visible gap — identifies a specific numeral punch and by extension a specific die preparation session. The centered and upright O mintmark on the C3a reverse provides an independent confirmation checkpoint, since many 1892-O varieties are distinguished by tilted, shifted, or otherwise displaced mintmarks that deviate from the centered vertical position. Guy Messing's 1975 discovery came during the formative period of the VAM catalog when researchers were systematically documenting the full range of date punch and mintmark variations. DPIS entries and emission sequence data remain unlisted. Collectors should examine the 9 in 1892 under 10-15x magnification, verifying that the loop closes completely, then check that the reverse O mintmark sits centered and vertical.

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