/sys$common/syshlp/helplib.hlb DTM, CREATE, VARIABLE, Command Qualifiers, /NUMERIC  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

   Used only with the /SYMBOL qualifier, the /NUMERIC qualifier
   defines the symbol type as a numeric value. Use this qualifier
   to define a quoted symbol value as numeric. You cannot specify
   both /NUMERIC and /STRING with the same CREATE VARIABLE command.
   If the variable value is not enclosed in quotation marks (" "),
   the variable type is defined as a numeric value.