1927-D VAM-2A

Description

Discovered in 2012, VAM-2A is a significant and scarce variety of the 1927 Denver Peace Dollar, carrying the VAMWorld classification 2A II1 – B2a, interest rating I-2, and rarity R-6 — placing it in the very scarce category with an estimated population of thirteen to thirty known examples. The defining feature is a rim cud on the reverse: a small die break above the right T in STATES causes a raised, irregular blob of metal at the rim extending slightly into the adjacent field of struck coins. Rim cuds result when a portion of the die breaks away at the rim, leaving a cavity that fills with metal on each subsequent strike, producing the raised cud feature. The position of this cud — above the right side of the T in STATES at approximately the 10 o'clock position of the reverse — is the primary attribution point. Additionally, some specimens from this die pair exhibit a collar clash on the reverse, where the coinage collar made incidental contact with the reverse die face, leaving impressed reeding marks along the rim. Not all VAM-2A examples show the collar clash, making it a secondary rather than diagnostic feature. The R-6 rarity for a Denver Peace Dollar variety reflects genuine production scarcity; the 1927-D is a low-mintage date in the Peace Dollar series to begin with, and the further refinement of VAM-2A examples makes this a challenging variety to locate in the marketplace.

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