1922-S VAM-1O

Description

Carrying the formidable R-7 rarity rating — estimated at only 76 to 200 surviving examples — the 1922-S VAM-1O is among the rarest Peace Dollar varieties in the VAM catalog. This San Francisco issue features a die chip below R on the reverse, where a small fragment of die steel broke away and left a void that filled with metal during striking, producing a raised lump beneath the letter. The R-7 designation places this variety at the extreme end of the rarity spectrum, where specimens are so scarce that complete date-and-mintmark VAM sets may be held up by the difficulty of locating one. Notably, the VAM-1O designation has a complex history: the original VAM-1O was the Early Die State of VAM-1A and was eliminated, with the designation later reassigned to this die chip variety — a reassignment that can cause confusion in older references. Struck at San Francisco in 90% silver at 38.1mm, the 1922-S had production of approximately 17 million coins. De Francisci's Peace Dollar was in its second year of normal-relief production. Examine below R on the reverse for the small raised die chip identifying this exceptionally rare variety.

External References