1924-P VAM-1AA

Description

Discovered by Steve Bandovich in October 2006, VAM-1AA for the 1924 Philadelphia Mint Peace Dollar is classified as II 1 - B2a (Broken Jaw Die Break) with a rarity rating of I-3 R-6, indicating approximately 13 to 30 specimens known. The obverse exhibits a horizontal die crack at the back of Liberty's jaw that makes a right-angle turn upward into the hair, with a die chip forming at the junction of these two cracks and some surface displacement in the surrounding field. This "broken jaw" description is evocative and diagnostically precise — the die crack follows the contour of the jaw line before abruptly turning upward, creating a distinctive L-shaped fracture pattern. The die chip at the crack junction formed as the intersecting stress lines weakened the die metal at that point. Cataloged by VAMWorld, this variety was recorded with no additional die markers or comments beyond the primary diagnostic. The 1924-P Peace Dollar was produced at Philadelphia with a mintage of approximately 11.8 million pieces, and the Peace Dollar's high-relief Liberty portrait placed particular stress on the die in the jaw and hair areas where these fractures developed. Steve Bandovich's discovery of this die break pattern adds to the extensive catalog of late die state Peace Dollar varieties where progressive failure tells the story of a die's working life.

External References