1922-S VAM-11

Description

Discovered in 2010 by Jason Henrichsen, the 1922-S VAM-11 Peace Dollar is classified as 11 II1 – B1d (Rays on Top of Mountain) with an impact rating of I-5 and a rarity of R-5. The reverse (B1d) presents a visually striking anomaly: rays strengthened at a die clash mark to the right of the olive leaves, with two rays extending down over and to the right, one passing through the right mountain — creating the appearance of sunrays superimposed onto the mountain design element in a way not intended by the original engraving. Heavy die file lines at the ONE inscription document die maintenance efforts to remove the die clash marks that caused the ray strengthening, indicating a sequence where an initial clash event transferred design elements, followed by filing to mitigate the damage, with the filing successfully removing some clash evidence around ONE but leaving the strengthened rays over the mountain intact. Formerly designated VAM-1N before reclassification, this variety was renumbered to reflect its distinct reverse die characteristics. The catalog notes that since VAM numbers are assigned by die classification rather than solely by die pairing, multiple die pairings may exist for this variety — meaning different obverse dies may have been paired with this same reverse die during production. Anthony de Francisci designed the Peace Dollar with its reverse eagle perched atop a mountain before rays of sunlight, and the interaction between the die clash strengthened rays and the intended mountain terrain creates a distinctive visual effect. Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1922 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter, the 1922-S had a significant production run. The rays-on-mountain anomaly makes this variety particularly appealing to collectors because the visual modification to the reverse design is noticeable and creates an effect that alters the artistic composition of de Francisci's original design intent.

External References