1922-S VAM-1AJ

Description

Discovered in 2014 by David Close, VAM-1AJ on the 1922-S Peace Dollar is classified as II1-B1a with descriptors "Die File Lines Left Obverse, Missing Ray Olive Leaves" and a rarity rating of I-2 R-5. The obverse die state II1 features vertical die file lines at the left obverse, applied by a Mint worker to remove a die crack that had caused GOD and the left rim to strike shallow. This die maintenance intervention is documented through the file lines themselves — a permanent record of the attempt to extend the die's service life by grinding down the raised area around a developing crack. The reverse die state B1a shows die file lines near a clash mark location near the lower olive leaves, where the filing process inadvertently erased a portion of one of the sun's rays, creating the "Missing Ray" diagnostic. The deliberate die maintenance documented on both sides of this variety provides a fascinating window into U.S. Mint workshop practices: when a die crack began affecting strike quality (making GOD and the left rim shallow), a worker filed the obverse die surface to redistribute metal flow, and separately filed the reverse die near the olive leaves to remove clash marks, accidentally removing part of a ray in the process. The 1922-S Peace Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver composition (26.73 grams, 38.1 mm diameter). Anthony de Francisci's reverse design arranges sun rays behind the perched eagle, and the missing ray creates a visible gap in the otherwise regular ray pattern. The R-5 rarity rating estimates 31 to 75 surviving examples of this particular die state.

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