1924-S VAM-1G

Description

Discovered in 2010 by Larry Briggs, the 1924-S VAM-1G "Die Chip Neck" Peace dollar features a combination die crack and die chip at the bottom of Liberty's neck on Anthony de Francisci's obverse — a short horizontal die crack at the base of the neck truncation paired with a large die chip that has broken away from the die surface in the same area. Cataloged as 1G II1 - B2a (Die Chip Neck) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-6 (estimated 13-30 known), this variety occupies the rare tier where confirmed specimens represent meaningful numismatic discoveries. San Francisco struck approximately 1.73 million Peace dollars in 1924, one of the lower mintages in the series and a date that commands significant premiums in all grades — making any cataloged die variety on a 1924-S inherently more desirable than the same type of variety on a common date. Die chips form when a small fragment of die steel breaks away entirely from the die face, leaving a void that fills with metal during striking and produces a raised, irregular blob on the coin's surface. The combination of a horizontal crack and an adjacent chip at the neck truncation suggests progressive die deterioration where an initial crack weakened the surrounding die steel, eventually causing a section to fracture completely and separate. Larry Briggs, a prolific researcher in Peace dollar VAM documentation who contributed numerous variety discoveries, identified this variety as part of the deep VAM-1 sub-variety family for 1924-S. At R-6 rarity, with only 13-30 specimens estimated known, this variety is genuinely difficult to locate and represents one of the scarcer attributions within the 1924-S catalog. Examination should focus on the base of Liberty's neck at 15-20x magnification, looking for both the horizontal crack line and the raised mass of the die chip.

External References