1922-D VAM-1E1

Description

Discovered by Eric Justice in June 2001 and later verified by Leroy Van Allen himself in July 2008, the 1922-D VAM-1E1 documents a die break below the letters IN on a Peace Dollar struck at the Denver Mint. Cataloged as II 1 B1a (Die Break Below IN), the obverse designated II 1 displays a horizontal die crack running from the lower part of Liberty's neck leftward to the top of the numeral 1 and continuing over to the rim below IN, where it widens into a displaced field die break. This progression from crack to break illustrates the typical failure mode in coinage dies: stress concentrations from repeated striking propagate outward until the metal fractures and displaces. The 1922-D is one of the most abundant Peace Dollar dates, with over 15 million coins struck at Denver that year, making it a common starting point for collectors entering the Peace Dollar VAM specialty. Denver was the sole mint to produce Peace Dollars in 1922 besides Philadelphia, and the large mintage ensured many die pairs were consumed during the production run, each carrying potential for unique die cracks and breaks. Van Allen's personal verification in 2008 underscores the rigor of the VAM cataloging system, where discoveries are confirmed by expert examination before receiving permanent catalog status.

External References