1926-S VAM-1O

Description

Discovered in 2010, this Peace Dollar die marriage from the San Francisco Mint documents a distinctive overpolished obverse where die clash marks were selectively removed. Cataloged as VAM-1O with the plate designation 1O II1 B2a, the variety carries an importance rating of I-2 and a rarity of R-5, indicating fewer than 30 examples are estimated to exist. The defining characteristic appears on Obverse II1, where a die clash originally left a ray impression through the right upright of the N in ONE. Mint personnel attempted to remove the clash evidence by polishing, which shortened the ray on both sides of the N's right upright. Notably, die file lines are visible at the die clash marks but not at the ONE inscription itself, indicating targeted rather than broad-area polishing. The B2a reverse die designation identifies the specific working die paired with this obverse. The 1926-S Peace Dollar had a mintage of just 6.98 million — one of the lower production figures in the series — making varieties from this date inherently scarcer. Die clashing occurs when obverse and reverse dies strike each other without an intervening planchet, transferring design elements between dies.

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