1922-S VAM-1AR

Description

Discovered in 2025, the 1922-S VAM-1AR is a recently cataloged Peace dollar variety struck at the San Francisco Mint, designated as Die Break Left Mid Wing. Classified as 1AR II1 - B1a, this variety is a recent addition to the Peace dollar VAM census, reflecting the ongoing nature of die variety discovery even on coins over a century old. The Peace dollar was composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter and a reeded edge. San Francisco produced 17,475,000 Peace dollars in 1922, a healthy mintage that nonetheless trails substantially behind Philadelphia's record 51.7 million production figure for the same year. The obverse die, classified as II1, shows no meaningful die markers other than a rim cud at the K1 position, a retained die break at the rim that forms a raised, featureless blob on struck coins. The reverse die, classified as B1a, exhibits the variety's primary diagnostic: a horizontal die break running across the middle of the eagle's left wing that extends into the left field, accompanied by a rim cud over the letters NI. Die breaks of this nature — spanning from a design element into the open field — indicate severe die deterioration where a crack propagated through the die steel until a section of the die face shifted or collapsed. An important cataloging note explains this variety was initially thought to be a very late die state of VAM-1i, which shares a similar obverse rim cud, but further examination established it as a distinct die pairing warranting its own VAM number. The variety is also listed on Cuds-on-Coins as CU-100c-1922S-04 and 05R Rim cuds, providing cross-reference documentation from the cud-focused cataloging system. The 2025 discovery date demonstrates that new Morgan and Peace dollar VAM varieties continue to surface even in the most heavily studied date-and-mint combinations.

External References