1925-S VAM-1K

Description

With only 1.61 million pieces struck, the 1925-S Peace dollar ranks among the scarcest regular-issue dates in the series, trailing only the legendary 1927-S (866,000) and comparable to the 1928-S (1.63 million). VAM-1K documents a specific die variety within this low-mintage issue, carrying the eleventh letter suffix in the VAM-1 family for the date — a surprisingly robust number of sub-varieties given the limited production run. The scarcity of the base date amplifies the significance of each documented VAM variety, as the small total population means fewer specimens of any particular die marriage survive. Anthony de Francisci's Peace dollar entered its fourth year of reduced-relief San Francisco production in 1925, and the facility's output had already begun the declining trend that would culminate in the series' suspension after 1928. The small S mintmark on the reverse below the eagle's tail feathers confirms the San Francisco origin, and collectors should note that the mintmark placement and die characteristics can provide crucial attribution support when the obverse diagnostics are ambiguous. The 1925-S is frequently encountered in lower circulated grades (VG through VF), as many examples entered active commerce and circulated extensively before the coin collecting community fully appreciated the date's scarcity. Higher-grade survivors in AU and Mint State command substantial premiums, and any identifiable VAM attribution adds additional collector interest. VAM-1K joins a growing catalog that demonstrates the depth of die variety research even for dates with limited original mintages.

External References