1923-D VAM-1AB

Description

Discovered by Larry Briggs in May 2004, VAM-1AB documents a significant die break on the 1923-D Peace dollar — a short diagonal fracture at the rim directly above the B in LIBERTY, with an extending crack that continues over to the bottom of the ER letters. Designated as 1AB II 1 with reverse die pairing B2a, this variety carries an importance rating of I-2 and a rarity scale of R-6, placing it among the scarcer die states for this date. The obverse die, cataloged as type II 1, shows these progressive die cracks that ultimately culminated in catastrophic failure as the die continued in service. Significant die breaks running around the entire obverse circumference have been documented on late-stage specimens, approaching what collectors term a "die collapse" — a state where the die has fractured so extensively that retained die pieces shift during striking, producing dramatic raised lines and distortions on the finished coin. The 1923-D Peace dollar carries a mintage of 6,811,000 pieces, making it a mid-range date in terms of availability, but specimens showing the advanced die break stages of VAM-1AB are considerably scarcer than typical examples. PCGS has graded examples in MS64, confirming that the die break feature does not inherently prevent high-grade designations when the coin's surfaces are otherwise well-preserved. This variety particularly appeals to collectors who specialize in die progression studies and terminal die state documentation.

External References