1934-D VAM-1C

Description

Bearing a Micro D mintmark — a smaller-than-normal D punch used on this particular die — this 1934-D Peace Dollar variety is accompanied by a thin, shallow, long vertical die scratch running below the D in GOD, with an additional short scratch below the left side of the G. Discovered in 2010 by Larry Briggs, author of a major Peace Dollar reference book, VAM-1C carries plate notation 1C III 1 - B2a with importance I-2 (moderately important) and rarity R-5 (scarce). The obverse die is documented as the same die used for VAM-2C, meaning two different reverse dies were paired with this Micro D obverse during production — a die-linking connection that helps researchers reconstruct the sequence of die usage at the Denver Mint. The 1934-D holds particular historical significance as the last Denver Mint Peace Dollar; although the series continued through 1935 at Philadelphia and San Francisco, Denver did not strike Peace Dollars after 1934. Larry Briggs's identification of the Micro D characteristic and the associated die scratches provides clear attribution diagnostics for a variety from the terminal Denver date of one of America's most collected silver dollar series.

External References