1923-P VAM-1AK1

Description

Carrying an unusually extended catalog designation, the 1923-P VAM-1AK1 illustrates the granular depth that VAM research has achieved on high-mintage Peace Dollar dates. The compound suffix "AK1" appended to the baseline VAM-1 number indicates a sub-sub-variety — a further refinement within an already subdivided die state sequence. In the Van Allen-Mallis system, letter suffixes document progressive die states of a base die pair, and numeric qualifiers create even finer distinctions among closely related conditions. The 1923 Philadelphia Peace Dollar, with a mintage of 30,800,000 pieces, required extensive die usage that generated multiple documentable stages. Anthony de Francisci's design features Liberty wearing a radiate crown on the obverse and a perched eagle with olive branch and PEACE on the reverse, struck in 90% silver at 26.73 grams on 38.1mm planchets. The deep sub-variety numbering reflects the self-organizing nature of VAM research: as more specimens are examined and reported, previously undifferentiated die states are separated and assigned catalog entries, progressively refining our understanding of how each die pair evolved during service.

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