1921-P VAM-1Q

Description

Discovered by Michael Fey in November 2006, VAM-1Q is a die-state variety of the 1921 Philadelphia Peace Dollar, carrying the VAMWorld plate designation 1Q I 1 – Aa. The 1921 Peace Dollar holds a unique position in American numismatics as the only year the design was struck in high relief — a characteristic mandated for the inaugural year of the design by sculptor Anthony de Francisci — making all 1921 Peace Dollars high relief coins regardless of die variety. For VAM-1Q, the defining feature is a pitted reverse die: scattered fine raised dots appear between the rays above the letters AR in DOLLAR and a few additional dots appear above DOLL. These raised dots on the coin correspond to small pits or cavities in the reverse die face, caused by rust or corrosion attacking the steel during the die's service life. The reverse die used for this variety is classified as Aa in the VAMWorld system. Pitted die varieties in the 1921 Peace Dollar series attract collector interest both as examples of die deterioration and as part of the comprehensive VAM population for this foundational year. The combination of high-relief design, post-World War I context, and moderate die variety census makes 1921 Peace Dollar VAMs a rewarding specialty. Specimens should be examined under magnification to confirm the dot pattern between and above the rays in the AR/DOLL area of the reverse.

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