1926-D VAM-1D

Description

Discovered in 2010 by Jason Henrichsen, the 1926-D VAM-1D "Die Break ES" Peace dollar documents a die crack that has progressed into a full break at the rim above the letters ES of STATES on the reverse. The full catalog entry reads 1D II 1 - B2a (Die Break ES) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-6 (estimated 13-30 known). The diagnostic describes a die crack running through the word STATES on the reverse, extending upward to the rim above ES where the crack widens into a break — a transition point where the fracture has opened enough to allow planchet metal to fill the gap, creating a raised ridge and a thickened rim area on struck coins. Denver produced only approximately 2.35 million Peace dollars in 1926, one of the lowest mintages in the series and a date that commands substantial premiums in all grades. The R-6 rarity rating (13-30 known) reflects either the die's brief service life after the break developed or the limited surviving population of this already low-mintage date. Die cracks that widen into breaks at the rim represent a progressive failure sequence: the initial crack forms due to cumulative striking stress, propagates through the die steel with each additional strike, and eventually opens wide enough at the rim — where the die is thinnest and most vulnerable — to constitute a full break. Jason Henrichsen, a consistent contributor to the Peace dollar VAM catalog, identified this variety through careful examination of the STATES inscription area on 1926-D specimens. Anthony de Francisci's reverse places UNITED STATES OF AMERICA along the upper periphery above the eagle, where the letters sit close to the rim and are therefore near the zone of maximum die stress. Collectors should examine the ES of STATES and the rim immediately above under 10-15x magnification, looking for a raised line tracing the crack through the letters that widens into a ridge or lump where it reaches the rim.

External References