1923 (S) Peace Dollar - VAM-1BI2

Description

Originally discovered in 2010 as VAM-1Bi and revised to VAM-1Bi2 in 2014, this San Francisco Mint Peace dollar variety carries a rarity rating of I-2 R-5, placing it among the scarcer documented Peace dollar die marriages. The classification is II1 - B2a (Die Scratches Last Three Obverse Rays, Die Scratch N, Die File Lines Reverse). The reverse, designated B2a, shows a later die state with a horizontal die scratch extending from the lower right of the N in UNITED, along with die file lines visible at die clash marks. Die file lines typically appear where Mint workers attempted to remove clash marks from the die surface by filing, a repair process that often left its own telltale traces. The 1923-S is one of the more available Peace dollar dates, but the R-5 rarity rating on this particular die marriage indicates that very few examples have been documented, making it a significant find for Peace dollar VAM specialists. The revision from VAM-1Bi to VAM-1Bi2 reflects ongoing refinement of the attribution as additional specimens surfaced for study.

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