1892-S Overdate WOVD-001

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as WOVD-001 for the 1892-S Liberty Head Double Eagle, this overdate variety documents a date punch correction on one of the premier gold coin denominations of the late 19th century. The overdate feature is an 1892/1 — a 2 was punched over the second 1 in the date, and remnants of the underlying 1 can be seen inside the upper portion of the corrected 2. Cross-references include Breen 7312, connecting this variety to Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, along with the Wexler Variety ID: 1892-S $20 WOVD-001. No significant additional die markers were noted on either the obverse or reverse beyond the overdate feature itself. Overdates on Liberty Head Double Eagles occur when a date digit is punched over a previously impressed digit — typically because an incorrect date punch was initially used and then corrected with the proper year's punch, leaving traces of the original digit visible beneath the corrected one. San Francisco struck approximately 930,150 double eagles in 1892, a production run that generated a limited number of die pairs given the massive $20 denomination's higher individual coin value and lower circulation demand compared to smaller denominations. The Breen 7312 cross-reference connects this variety to one of the most comprehensive catalogs of gold coinage varieties ever compiled. Liberty Head Double Eagles from the early 1890s are substantial numismatic objects — 33.4 grams of .900 fine gold with a diameter of 34 mm — and varieties on these coins attract attention from both gold coin collectors and variety specialists. The Liberty Head design by James B. Longacre had been in continuous production since 1849, making it one of the longest-running designs in American coinage by the time this 1892 die was prepared. Collectors should examine the date digits under magnification, looking for traces of the underlying 1 visible within the upper portion of the 2, particularly any remnant vertical stroke that does not belong to the final date configuration.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ernst W. Mayer Cross References: Breen 7312
• Breen 7312; Wexler Variety ID: 1892-S $20 WOVD-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References