1922-D VAM-1B

Description

David Close — a dedicated Peace dollar researcher with numerous variety discoveries to his credit — identified the 1922-D VAM-1B "Die Break From T" variety, documenting a horizontal die break extending from the left side of the letter T in LIBERTY outward to Liberty's hair bun on Anthony de Francisci's obverse. Cataloged as 1B II 1 · B1a (Die Break From T), this variety captures a dramatic instance of die failure where the working die steel fractured along a horizontal path connecting two design elements — the deep incuse cavity of the letter T and the complex hair detail of Liberty's bun — creating a raised irregular ridge on struck coins that traces the fracture's path through the die. Denver produced approximately 15.06 million Peace dollars in 1922, the first full year of low-relief production following the high-relief debut of 1921, and the heavy striking demands of silver dollar production at Denver generated the mechanical stress conditions under which die fractures developed. The horizontal orientation of this break distinguishes it from the more common radial die cracks that typically extend from the rim inward, suggesting the fracture followed a stress concentration line between the two design elements rather than propagating from the die's edge. The Obverse II 1 designation identifies the obverse die type, paired with a Reverse B1a — a die pairing that places this variety within the B1-type reverse family rather than the more commonly encountered B2 variants. Die breaks of this character — connecting specific design elements in a repeatable path — serve as excellent attribution diagnostics because their position and angle remain constant across all specimens struck from the affected die. Collectors should examine the area between the T of LIBERTY and the adjacent hair bun under 10x magnification, looking for a raised horizontal ridge connecting the two features.

External References