1923-S VAM-1AD4

Description

Surfacing in 2011 through the research of David Close and rated I-2 R-6, this 1923-S Peace Dollar exhibits quadruple clash spikes rising from the eagle's right shoulder on the reverse — evidence that the dies struck each other without a planchet on at least four separate occasions. Each clash event transferred a ghost impression of the opposing die's design, and the accumulated spikes document a remarkable sequence of repeated mechanical failures during a single die's working life. Quadruple clash marks are extraordinarily unusual because Mint workers typically detected and remedied clashed dies after one or two incidents by filing down the transferred impressions. That four distinct clash events occurred — each leaving its own spike at the eagle's shoulder — suggests either a rapid sequence of clashes before intervention or a die returned to service multiple times without fully removing previous clash evidence. Die scratches at Y and above 2 in the date provide secondary attribution markers. The San Francisco Mint struck approximately 19.02 million Peace Dollars in 1923, and the extreme rarity rating of R-6 indicates very few specimens from this die pair have been identified. Reverse B2a– Die clashed again with quadruple spikes up from eagle's right shoulder.

External References