1922-P VAM-1AA

Description

David Close's 2015 discovery of the 1922-P VAM-1AA Peace dollar pinpointed a short vertical die gouge in the field at the rim below the letter R in TRVST on Anthony de Francisci's obverse. Cataloged as 1AA II1 · B1a (Die Gouge Below R) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-5 (approximately 30-75 known), this variety occupies the scarce range despite the massive overall mintage of the 1922-P date. Philadelphia struck approximately 51.74 million Peace dollars in 1922, the highest single-year output in the series, generating the enormous die consumption that has produced the deepest sub-variety documentation in the Peace dollar catalog. The vertical orientation of the gouge below R in TRVST — positioned at the boundary between the rim and the field — places the diagnostic in an area vulnerable to contact marks and rim damage during circulation, meaning higher-grade specimens will preserve the diagnostic most clearly. Die gouges in this rim-adjacent location may originate from handling the die during installation in the press or from debris trapped between the die and the press collar. The Reverse B1a classification is noteworthy: it identifies a B1-type reverse rather than the more commonly encountered B2-type, providing an additional die marriage confirmation point for attributors. The VAM-1AA designation — a double-letter suffix in the alphabetical sequence — indicates this is approximately the twenty-seventh sub-variety documented within the VAM-1 family for 1922-P, reflecting the extraordinary depth of research applied to this record-mintage date. Examination under 15x magnification with angled lighting should reveal the short vertical raised line in the field immediately below R, distinct from random contact marks by its consistent appearance across multiple specimens from the same die.

External References