1922-D VAM-1AA2

Description

Discovered by Tom Petrosie in October 2023, this recently cataloged VAM-1AA2 for the 1922 Denver Mint Peace Dollar is classified as 1AA II1 B1a with diagnostics of a die gouge near W, a die scratch on the chin, and a die gouge below the O of GOD on the obverse. The notation that all VAM-1AA variants share a dot in the O of GOD provides a unifying characteristic across the 1AA sub-family, connecting this variety to its related die states. The 1922-D Peace Dollar was struck at the Denver Mint with a mintage of approximately 15.1 million pieces — the highest mintage of any Peace Dollar date — making it the most available date in the series for die variety research. Anthony de Francisci's design features the word TRVST (using the classical Latin V for U) beneath Liberty's profile, and the Peace Dollar reverse shows a perched eagle atop a mountain with rays of sunlight. The 2023 discovery date makes this one of the most recently identified Peace Dollar VAMs, demonstrating that new varieties continue to be found even on dates that have been studied for decades. The VAM numbering system established by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis provides the framework for cataloging Morgan and Peace Dollar die varieties, and the 1AA2 suffix indicates this is a sub-variety within the broader 1AA classification, differentiated by specific die state characteristics or additional markers.

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