1923-S VAM-1AF

Description

Designated "Die File Lines Lower Left Obverse," VAM-1AF of the 1923-S Peace Dollar is classified as 1AF II 1 B2a with I-2 collector interest and R-5 rarity, and was discovered in January 2006. The obverse displays heavy die file lines concentrated around IN GOD WE and the date, applied by Mint personnel to remove die cracks in that area. The filing was aggressive enough to slightly displace the field above the numeral 1, where two die cracks converge, creating a subtle but detectable surface irregularity. Die filing was a standard maintenance procedure — when a die developed cracks or defects, an engraver filed the affected area to extend its useful life. The resulting file marks, while eliminating original cracks, left distinctive linear patterns that transferred to every subsequent coin struck from the treated die. The R-5 rarity rating indicates an estimated 1 to 30 known examples, reflecting the limited coins struck after the filing intervention. San Francisco Peace Dollars from 1923 are collected both as a date-mint issue and as a source of die varieties, and VAM-1AF contributes a noteworthy maintenance-related variety. =1923-S VAM-1AF Die File Lines Lower Left Obverse= Discovered by January 2006.

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