1925-S VAM-4

Description

Discovered by Jeff Oxman in February 1998, the 1925-S VAM-4 "Doubled DOL" Peace dollar documents hub doubling visible on the bottom edges of DOL in DOLLAR, with additional doubling on some lower edges of olive leaves and branches and rear feather edges in the eagle's legs. Cataloged as 4 II 1 B2d (Doubled DOL) with die classification I-3 and rarity rating R-4 (estimated 131-300 known), this variety falls in the moderately scarce range where specimens appear with reasonable frequency for determined collectors. Anthony de Francisci's Peace dollar reverse features the perched eagle with olive branch and the inscription PEACE below, with DOLLAR positioned along the lower periphery where the D-O-L letters sit among the olive branch detail. San Francisco struck approximately 1.61 million Peace dollars in 1925, one of the lowest mintages in the series, making the 1925-S a key date that commands significant premiums in all grades. Jeff Oxman — a major figure in the VAM research community whose contributions span hundreds of Morgan and Peace dollar variety discoveries — identified the doubled bottom edges of DOL as the primary diagnostic, with the olive leaf and eagle leg feather doubling providing supplementary confirmation points. The I-3 die classification and R-4 rarity represent a moderately accessible variety despite the low overall mintage, suggesting this particular die pair saw reasonable production service. The Reverse B2d designation identifies a specific reverse die type distinguished from other 1925-S reverse variants by the DOL doubling characteristic. Collectors should examine the bottom edges of D, O, and L in DOLLAR under at least 15x magnification, looking for secondary contour lines displaced slightly from the primary letter edges, then verify by checking the olive leaves in the lower wreath for parallel secondary impressions on the lower leaf edges.

External References