1921-D VAM-1BJ1

Description

Dennis Halladay's 2024 discovery of VAM-1BJ1 makes this one of the most recently cataloged Morgan Dollar varieties, found more than a century after the 1921-D coins were struck at the Denver Mint. Classified as IV 1 with a D2a reverse and catalog number 189, this die marriage belongs to the 1921 resumption of Morgan Dollar production — a brief revival struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco after the series had been dormant since 1904. A distinctive production detail for all 1921-dated Morgan Dollars is that the date was cut directly into the master die rather than punched into individual working dies, eliminating the date position variations found on earlier dates in the series. VAM-1BJ1 represents the Early Die State of VAM-1BJ2; the critical distinguishing feature is the absence of die gouges on the reverse below OL of DOLLAR. As the die continued in service, gouges developed in that area, marking the transition to the 1BJ2 sub-variety. The 1921-D Morgan Dollar carries a mintage of approximately 20.3 million coins, making it reasonably available in lower grades but challenging to locate in gem condition. This sequential die state relationship between 1BJ1 and 1BJ2 provides collectors with a clear progression narrative for tracking the die's working life.

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