1923-S VAM-1BF1

Description

Discovered in 2017, VAM-1BF1 on the 1923 San Francisco Peace Dollar documents a heavily damaged obverse die exhibiting multiple simultaneous failure modes, cataloged under die pair II1 with a B2a reverse and rated I-2 R-5. The obverse displays raised dots and splotches around the periphery caused by rust pitting — corrosion that attacked the die steel and transferred as raised features onto struck coins. Superimposed on this rust damage are die file lines, evidence that Mint personnel attempted to smooth the corroded surface through mechanical filing. The die also developed structural cracking: a die crack runs from the letter R through the cap and bun area to the Y in LIBERTY, where displaced field breaks formed at the terminus. The convergence of die rust, die filing, die cracking, and displaced field breaks on a single die paints a portrait of extreme tool deterioration — a die maintained, repaired, and retained in service well beyond the point where multiple forms of damage had accumulated. San Francisco's 1923 Peace Dollar production was substantial, and this die's continued use despite severe degradation reflects the pressure to maximize output from each working die. =1923-S VAM-1BF1 Pitted Obverse Die Periphery, Die Breaks Y= Discovery 2017 1BF1 II1 - B2a (Pitted Obverse Die Periphery, Die Breaks Y) I-2 R-5 Obverse II1 - Raised dots and splotches at periphery from die rust.

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