1923-P VAM-1AM

Description

Discovered in 2005, VAM-1AM on the 1923 Philadelphia Peace dollar documents diagonal die scratches at the left top of the numeral 1 in the date on Anthony de Francisci's obverse. Classified under die state II 1 with reverse B2a, this variety carries an I-2 interest level and the scarce R-5 rarity rating — placing the known population between 30 and 75 confirmed specimens. The descriptive name "Die Scratches 1" references the scratches' position at the first digit of the date. Philadelphia struck approximately 30.8 million Peace dollars in 1923, a solid output following the record-setting 1922 production year. Die scratches on a working die typically result from contact with foreign objects, tools, or debris during die preparation, handling, or press operation, creating incuse marks on the die face that transfer as raised lines on every coin struck until the die is retired or the scratches are polished away. The diagonal orientation of the scratches at the left top of the 1 provides a specific diagnostic that requires examining the upper-left serif area of the date's first digit under magnification. Within the VAM numbering system, the AM suffix places this deep within the sub-variety tree of the VAM-1 die family, indicating it shares the primary obverse die characteristics of VAM-1 while being distinguished by this specific set of die scratches. The B2a reverse designation is consistent with standard late-production die pairings across the 1923 Philadelphia date range.

External References