1924-P VAM-1AG

Description

Discovered by Steve Bandovich in October 2006, VAM-1AG exhibits a pitted obverse on the 1924 Peace Dollar — raised dots and splotches across the fields, Liberty's face, and neck, all produced by a rusted die. When die steel corrodes, the rust creates pits in the die surface that transfer as raised features onto struck coins, producing a distinctive textured appearance unlike any other form of die deterioration. Classified as II 1 - B2a with R-5 rarity (an estimated 30–75 known examples), this variety provides direct evidence of die storage or environmental conditions at the Philadelphia Mint during the mid-1920s. Die rust pitting is distinct from other die deterioration effects because it produces irregularly shaped raised features rather than the linear patterns of die scratches or the radial patterns of die cracks. The 1924 Peace Dollar saw a Philadelphia mintage exceeding 11 million, and the presence of rust-pitted dies suggests some working dies experienced humidity exposure during storage between production runs.

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