1922 (S) Peace Dollar - VAM-2AC

Description

Discovered by David Close in February 2011, the 1922-S VAM-2AC "Collar Clash Reverse" Peace dollar documents an unusual form of die damage: a collar clash on the reverse where the reeding pattern from the collar die impressed itself onto the reverse die's rim area. Cataloged as II1 - B2a (Collar Clash Reverse) with interest level I-2 and rarity rating R-5 (estimated 30-75 known), this variety shows the collar clash of reeding edge on the rim above ED STATES, positioned next to a rim cud at UNI. Collar clashes occur when the collar — the ring-shaped die that forms the coin's edge and its reeding — strikes the face die without a planchet present, transferring the reeding pattern as shallow incuse impressions onto the die surface near the rim. The resulting struck coins display faint parallel lines near the rim that mirror the edge reeding pattern, a distinctive diagnostic quite different from the inscription and device transfer marks seen in standard obverse-reverse die clashes. San Francisco produced approximately 17.48 million Peace dollars in 1922, and the co-occurrence of the collar clash with a rim cud at UNI suggests this reverse die experienced multiple forms of damage — both the collar impact and a separate rim fracture at the UNITED area. David Close's identification of this collar clash variety adds to his extensive contributions to Peace dollar VAM research. Anthony de Francisci's reverse design places UNITED STATES OF AMERICA along the upper periphery where the collar clash manifests, and the proximity to the rim cud at UNI provides a second immediately visible diagnostic. Collectors should examine the reverse rim area above ED STATES under 10-15x magnification, looking for fine parallel lines perpendicular to the rim that correspond to reeding impressions, then check the UNI area for the accompanying rim cud.

External References