1922-D VAM-1S

Description

Bill Van Note's January 2005 discovery of the 1922-D VAM-1S revealed a Peace Dollar with a dramatic die break that traces a path across the date area. Classified as II 1 - B1a with the title "Die Break Left of 1," this variety documents a die crack that originates at the left side of the upper loop of the numeral 9, runs through the lower middle of the numeral 1, and extends leftward to the rim where it expands into a wide die break. The progression from thin crack to wide break tells a story of die fatigue: the fracture started small, perhaps as an invisible internal stress line, and propagated through the die steel with each successive strike until it reached the rim area where structural support was weakest. Where the crack meets the rim, the increased width indicates the die steel had begun to separate, allowing metal to flow into the widening gap during striking. The resulting raised metal on the coin creates a distinctive ridge that is often visible to the unaided eye. Denver struck 15,063,000 Peace Dollars in 1922, providing a healthy search pool for this variety. The B1a reverse designation without additional descriptors suggests a relatively unremarkable reverse die state, keeping the collector's focus squarely on the obverse die break as the primary diagnostic. Die breaks through date numerals are particularly valued by collectors because the date area naturally draws the eye, making these varieties both visually appealing and relatively easy to spot compared to breaks in less prominent locations.

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