1922-D VAM-1M2

Description

Discovered by David Close, the 1922-D VAM-1M2 "Retained Cud Below 1" Peace dollar documents a significant obverse die failure where a die break extends beyond the right side of the numeral 1 in the date back to the rim, producing a full raised rim-to-rim displaced field break characteristic of a retained cud. Cataloged as 1M2 II 1 · B1a (Retained Cud Below 1), this variety represents an advanced stage of die deterioration on Anthony de Francisci's obverse design where the steel between the date area and the rim has fractured and begun to separate from the die body. Unlike a full cud — where the broken piece detaches entirely, leaving a featureless raised blob on struck coins — a retained cud maintains structural connection to the parent die while sinking slightly below the surrounding surface, creating a raised shelf with partially preserved design detail that maps the full extent of the fracture. Denver struck approximately 15.06 million Peace dollars in 1922, the first year of low-relief production after the high-relief debut of 1921, and this date has generated one of the deepest sub-variety catalogs in the entire Peace dollar series. The location below the numeral 1 places this retained cud at the leftmost position of the date, adjacent to Liberty's neck truncation — an area where die stress concentrates due to the transition between the high-relief portrait and the rim. David Close, a prolific contributor to Peace dollar VAM documentation, has identified numerous die-state progressions and sub-varieties across the series. The rim-to-rim displaced field break description indicates the fracture spans the full distance from the design boundary to the coin's edge, producing a diagnostic visible even at low magnification. Collectors should look for the raised, slightly flattened area below and around the 1, comparing the surface texture against the sharp detail of the adjacent design elements.

External References