1934-D VAM-5A

Description

Discovered by Larry Briggs in October 2002, this Denver Mint Peace Dollar bears a mintmark variety that immediately draws collector attention: a "Micro D" set high — a D mintmark noticeably smaller than the standard punch, positioned above its typical location on the reverse. Cataloged as VAM-5A with die pair classification III 1 - B2c, the variety also features a small die chip lodged in Liberty's hair to the right of the last right tiara ray on the obverse. Rated I-2 for significance and R-5 for rarity, with 200 to 400 estimated survivors. Briggs, the author of the comprehensive Peace Dollar reference that bears his name, brought decades of expertise to this discovery. Mintmark size varieties on Morgan and Peace Dollars are avidly collected because they reveal the Mint's use of multiple mintmark punch sizes — whether intentional or through substitution of worn punches. The 1934 date is the penultimate year of original Peace Dollar production, as the series ended in 1935 before a brief and controversial resumption in 1964 that was ultimately melted.

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