1922-D VAM-1Q

Description

Discovered by Eric Justice in January 2005, the 1922-D VAM-1Q "Rim Cud at O in ONE" Peace dollar documents a significant die failure on the reverse of Anthony de Francisci's design. Cataloged as 1Q II 1 B1a (Rim Cud at O in ONE), this variety features a rim cud — a retained die break where a section of the die has fractured and separated, leaving a raised, featureless blob on the struck coin — touching the left side of the letter O in ONE, accompanied by a smaller cud touching the end of the wing feathers. Rim cuds develop when the die steel cracks at the periphery where striking pressures concentrate against the collar, and the fractured segment lifts or breaks away, preventing the design from being fully impressed in that area. The Denver Mint produced approximately 15.06 million Peace dollars in 1922, the first year of mass low-relief production following the transition from the initial high-relief design of 1921, and this substantial output pushed working dies through extended service that increased the probability of rim fractures. The dual-cud presentation — one touching the O in ONE and a second smaller cud at the wing feather tips — suggests the die experienced fracturing along multiple planes, possibly propagating from an initial crack that extended to affect both areas. Eric Justice contributed numerous Peace dollar discoveries during the mid-2000s, expanding the VAM catalog for common-date issues where large surviving populations provide ample material for die study. Collectors should examine the reverse left of ONE and at the eagle's wing tips, where the raised featureless metal of the cuds contrasts sharply with the surrounding detailed design.

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