1921-P VAM-1S

Description

Struck in the inaugural year of the Peace Dollar series, this Philadelphia Mint issue holds a distinctive place in American numismatics: the 1921 Peace Dollar was produced in high relief, rendering Anthony de Francisci's original sculptural vision before the Mint lowered the relief in 1922. Discovered by William Bland in December 2006 and cataloged as I 1 - Aa, VAM-1S is identified by die file lines around the eagle's right shoulder on the reverse, with additional filing visible around AMERICA, UNUM, and above the eagle's left wing. These file lines represent efforts to remove clash marks — evidence that the dies struck together without an intervening planchet. Surface roughness from die wear and rust documents the accelerated deterioration that high relief dies experienced under extreme striking pressures. With approximately one million pieces produced before the relief was reduced, the 1921 high relief Peace Dollar represents a brief but artistically significant moment in the series, and varieties like VAM-1S provide tangible evidence of the production challenges that forced the design modification. 1S I 1 · Aa (Die File Lines Top Reverse) Reverse Aa– Die file lines around eagle’s right shoulder to remove die clash mark and die file lines around AMERICA, UNUM and above eagle’s left wing.

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