1922 Peace Dollar - VAM-1S

Description

Discovered in 2010 by Jason Henrichsen, the 1922-P VAM-1S "Die Scratch 1" Peace dollar features a tiny vertical striated die scratch at the top left of the numeral 1 in the date. Cataloged as 1S II1 · B2a (Die Scratch 1) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-4 (estimated 131-300 known), this variety falls within the moderately scarce range that makes it accessible to determined collectors. Anthony de Francisci positioned the date at the lower right of the obverse below Liberty's neck truncation, where the numeral 1 sits at the leftmost position of the four-digit date. The striated quality of the die scratch suggests it was produced by a rough-surfaced tool or particle dragged across the die, creating parallel micro-grooves rather than a single clean incision. Vertical orientation at the top left of the 1 distinguishes this scratch from random circulation marks, which tend to appear in random directions and would not replicate identically across multiple specimens struck from the same die. At R-4, specimens surface with reasonable frequency in dealer inventories and auction lots, particularly given the massive surviving population of 1922-P Peace dollars. Jason Henrichsen's discovery expanded the already extensive VAM-1S documentation for this workhorse date, contributing to a sub-variety census that demonstrates the extraordinary granularity achievable when a high-mintage date receives sustained collector scrutiny.

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