1922-S VAM-1V

Description

Die rust produces some of the most visually distinctive varieties in numismatics, and this 1922-S Peace Dollar preserves the evidence clearly: raised dots and splotches scattered mainly across the left obverse field, transferred from a die whose surface corroded during storage in humid conditions. When iron dies rust, the corrosion pits into the surface, and those pits produce corresponding raised features on every coin struck from the damaged die. Discovered in December 2010 by David Close, VAM-1V carries plate notation 1V II1 - B1a, classifying it as a Rusted Obverse Die variety with importance I-2 (moderately important) and rarity R-6 (very scarce). The reverse die B1a shows circular polishing lines at PEACE and the olive leaves, suggesting the Mint performed maintenance on the reverse while the obverse deteriorated. San Francisco struck the 1922-S Peace Dollar in substantial numbers, yet the R-6 rating indicates very few specimens from this die pair have surfaced. The concentration of rust evidence in the left field, combined with reverse polishing marks, documents two different die maintenance conditions within a single pairing. =1922-S VAM-1V Rusted Obverse die= Discovered by David Close, December 2010.

External References