1921-P VAM-1W

Description

Struck from the only high relief dies used for the Peace Dollar series, this 1921-P VAM-1W documents a fascinating sequence of die events: the reverse die clashed against the obverse die, leaving strong hair impressions in the upper right reverse field, and the Mint then attempted to salvage the die by filing away the clash marks. The result is heavy die file lines visible in both the left and right reverse fields — the telltale parallel scratches left by a file drawn across the die surface. VAM plate notation 1W I 1 - Aa identifies obverse die I, pair 1, with reverse die Aa. Discovered in 2010, the earlier die state preserves the strong clashed hair impressions before the filing was performed, allowing collectors to trace the die's history from clash to repair. The 1921 Peace Dollar is the high relief version designed by Anthony de Francisci — produced only in December 1921 before the Mint switched to low relief in 1922 for better stacking and die longevity. Die file lines on a high relief Peace Dollar reverse represent the intersection of two collecting specialties: VAM attribution and die-state progression on one of America's most celebrated coin designs.

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