1923-P VAM-1AE

Description

Discovered by David Close, VAM-1AE documents a Die Break at the Hair Rear on the 1923 Philadelphia Peace Dollar, classified as 1AE II 1, B2a reverse, with a rarity rating of I-2 R-6 (estimated 13-30 known). The obverse shows a vertical die break at the rear of the hair near the bun — positioned further right than the related 1923-P VAM-1W, a distinction critical for proper attribution between these visually similar varieties. Philadelphia struck approximately 30.8 million Peace Dollars in 1923, the highest mintage year for Anthony de Francisci's high-relief design. VAM-1AE belongs to an extensive family of "extra hair" 1923-P varieties that includes VAM-1B, VAM-1BK, VAM-1V, VAM-1W, VAM-1Y, VAM-1AA, VAM-1AB 2, VAM-1AN2, and VAM-1AR — all sharing the characteristic of die breaks or cracks in the hair region that produce raised metal resembling additional hair strands. The R-6 rarity designation classifies this as a scarce variety, though the AE suffix indicates ongoing die state refinement within the broader VAM-1 die marriage.

External References