1923 (S) Peace Dollar - VAM-1AQ2

Description

Documented in 2010, the 1923-S VAM-1AQ2 "Shallow Die Gouge B" Peace dollar records a die crack with an unusual additional feature — heavy die file lines along the crack's length, suggesting a mint worker attempted to remove the crack by filing the die surface. Cataloged as 1AQ2 II 1 · B2a (Shallow Die Gouge B) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-5 (approximately 30-75 known), the diagnostic centers on a die crack running from LI downward to IN on the obverse of Anthony de Francisci's design, with visible file marks paralleling the crack where the repair attempt failed to eliminate the fracture. Die filing was a common maintenance technique at U.S. Mints: when a working die developed cracks or other surface defects, workers would attempt to extend its useful life by filing down the affected area to smooth out or remove the damage. When the crack was too deep to eliminate by filing, the file marks themselves became a permanent feature of the die, transferring as shallow raised lines on struck coins. The 1AQ2 suffix, with its double-character extension, indicates this variety branches from an already extensive sub-variety tree — the VAM-1AQ family — and the "2" distinguishes it from the parent 1AQ by the specific gouge and file mark characteristics. The file lines along the crack provide forensic evidence of mint workshop practices, making this variety particularly interesting to collectors who appreciate the human stories embedded in die failure diagnostics. Examination under 15-20x magnification should reveal both the die crack path from LI to IN and the parallel raised lines from the filing attempt.

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