1922-D VAM-1M1

Description

Thomas J. Petrosie discovered this Peace Dollar variety in 2016, documenting a die break at the numeral 1 in the date. Classified as II1 - B2a, the obverse shows a die crack running from the left of the 1 at the rim, continuing through the base of the 1 with a slightly wide break at the rim. The catalog specifies this represents the Early Die State before a retained rim cud developed — meaning that as the die continued in service after Petrosie's documented state, the crack widened and evolved into a retained cud where the rim fragment began separating but remained attached. This progression from die crack to retained cud documents the life cycle of die deterioration, with VAM-1M1 capturing the intermediate stage. An important catalog note reveals that the original VAM-1M1 was renumbered — the variety initially assigned this designation is now VAM-1M2, and the current VAM-1M1 represents a different die state or entry. Such renumbering occurs as the VAM catalog undergoes periodic revision to maintain chronological or logical consistency within die variety families. The Denver Mint produced approximately 15.06 million Peace Dollars in 1922, its first year striking the new Peace Dollar design that replaced the Morgan Dollar. The B2a reverse classification indicates a standard die pairing. Die breaks at date numerals are among the more visually accessible Peace Dollar diagnostics, as the break's position relative to the affected digit provides a clear and repeatable attribution point for collectors examining potential matches.

External References