1921-P VAM-1D

Description

Discovered by William Bland in May 2004, the 1921-P Peace Dollar VAM-1D "Die Flake Temple" documents a distinctive obverse die defect: a flat-topped die flake at the junction of the temple and hair on Anthony de Francisci's high-relief Liberty portrait, accompanied by extensive die polishing lines across all fields. Cataloged as 1D I 1 · Aa (Die Flake Temple), this variety represents the high-relief 1921 Peace dollar — the only year the design was struck in high relief before being modified to low relief for 1922 onward. The Obverse I 1 classification identifies the first obverse hub type used exclusively for the inaugural high-relief production, while Reverse Aa denotes the corresponding first-year reverse configuration. Philadelphia struck approximately 1.01 million high-relief Peace dollars in 1921, a modest mintage that reflects the production difficulties inherent in striking the deeply sculpted design on standard coin presses. Die flakes occur when small fragments of the die surface break away, leaving a void in the die that produces a corresponding raised lump on struck coins — the "flat-topped" characterization indicates the flake created a plateau-shaped protrusion rather than a rounded bump, suggesting a clean horizontal fracture of the die surface layer. The location at the temple-hair junction places the flake in a transitional area of the obverse design where the smooth forehead meets the detailed hair strands, providing a specific diagnostic reference point. The extensive die polishing lines across all fields indicate this die received heavy maintenance polishing that left visible traces — a common practice for high-relief dies that required more frequent surface restoration than standard designs. William Bland's discovery adds to the die flake and surface condition documentation for this celebrated first-year issue.

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