1922-S VAM-1G

Description

Discovered by Eric Justice in November 2004, the 1922-S VAM-1G "Die File Lines Obverse" Peace dollar records die maintenance marks on the obverse of Anthony de Francisci's design, with file lines concentrated at the top and right obverse fields applied in an attempt to remove a die crack. Cataloged as 1G II 1 B1a (Die File Lines Obverse) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-5 (approximately 30-75 known), this variety documents the physical evidence of Mint die repair procedures where workers filed the die surface to smooth over developing cracks rather than retiring the die from service. The file lines at the top and right fields trace the approximate path of the original crack, as the filing would have been concentrated along the fracture line where the raised crack ridge on struck coins needed to be eliminated. San Francisco struck approximately 17.48 million Peace dollars in 1922, the first year of mass low-relief production, and the maintenance effort suggests this die was being preserved to sustain production output. The B1a reverse classification — as opposed to the more common B2a seen on many other Peace dollar sub-varieties — indicates a specific reverse die variant, adding a reverse-side attribution point to complement the obverse file line diagnostic. Eric Justice's November 2004 discovery added to the growing documentation of 1922-S Peace dollar die maintenance varieties, where the comparatively lower mintage relative to the Philadelphia issue means fewer working dies were employed, making each die's service history potentially reconstructible through its documented varieties. Collectors should examine the top and right obverse fields under 10-15x magnification with angled lighting, looking for parallel incuse lines that cut across the field areas and adjacent design elements, with the filing pattern indicating the approximate location of the original die crack that prompted the maintenance intervention.

External References