1922-D VAM-1AA

Description

Bearing the extended designation VAM-1AA — indicating a late addition to what was already a lengthy catalog of sub-varieties branching from VAM-1 — this 2010 discovery on the 1922 Denver Mint Peace Dollar documents two distinct die preparation artifacts on the obverse: a short vertical die gouge running from Liberty's jaw downward to the left top of the W in "We," and a long thin vertical die scratch extending from the nostril down to the front of the chin. The classification "II1 - B1a (Die Gouge W, Die Scratch Chin)" captures both features in the standardized VAM notation. These obverse die markers were introduced during die preparation or finishing at the Philadelphia Mint, where all working dies were manufactured before distribution to branch facilities. The 1922-D Peace Dollar holds a special place in numismatic lore as it shares a date with the famous 1922 "No D" varieties — Plain, Weak, and Strong Reverse — where heavily worn Denver dies produced coins with faint or absent mintmarks. While VAM-1AA is unrelated to those celebrated varieties, it benefits from the intense scrutiny that the 1922-D date receives from Peace Dollar specialists. Denver struck approximately 15.1 million Peace Dollars in 1922, one of the highest branch mint totals in the series, generating a large pool of dies and correspondingly rich variety opportunities. The double-letter designation "AA" indicates this variety was documented well after the original VAM-1 numbering sequence was established, reflecting the ongoing expansion of the Peace Dollar catalog as researchers continue to examine these popular silver coins.

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