1925-P VAM-1J

Description

Discovered by Richard Verdi in May 2005, VAM-1J for the 1925 Philadelphia Mint Peace Dollar documents a thread-like raised impression on the eagle's right wing — a variety that originates not from a die clash or hub doubling but from a physical contaminant that became embedded in the die surface during production. Classified as II 1 B2a with a rarity of R-5, this die marriage carries a reverse designated B2a that shows a curved, thread-like line running across the eagle's wing, created when a foreign object — likely an actual thread or thin wire fragment — was pressed into the die steel with sufficient force to leave a permanent impression. As the die continued to strike planchets, each subsequent coin received a raised replica of the embedded contaminant, creating a consistent diagnostic feature across all coins struck from this die. Struck foreign body impressions in dies are relatively uncommon compared to die cracks or clash marks because they require a specific sequence of events: a contaminant must land on the die face at precisely the moment when sufficient force is applied to embed it permanently. The 1925-P Peace Dollar was produced at Philadelphia with a mintage of 10,198,000 coins, placing it among the moderate-mintage dates in the series. VAM-1J was cataloged by VAMWorld and holds an importance rating of I-2, reflecting its interest as an example of an unusual die failure mechanism. The thread-like quality of the raised line — curved and organic rather than straight and geometric — distinguishes it immediately from die cracks, polishing lines, or clash marks, making it one of the more visually distinctive varieties in the 1925-P VAM catalog.

External References