1928-S VAM-4

Description

Discovered by Charles Cateldo in September 1999, the 1928-S VAM-4 Peace Dollar is titled "Doubled TRV, Nose & Lips, Medium High S" and classified as II 3 - B2b with rarity ratings of I-3 and R-5, the latter indicating an estimated population of 30 to 75 known examples. This variety presents an unusually broad distribution of doubling across Anthony de Francisci's obverse design: the designer's initials and TRV (from TRVST, the Latin spelling used on Peace Dollars) are doubled on the right side, D WE is slightly doubled on the bottom right side along with doubling at the back of Liberty's neck, and — most distinctively — Liberty's nose and lips show clear doubling, an uncommon portrait-feature variety that sets VAM-4 apart from the more typical inscription-only doubled die varieties. Additionally, the front rays on the left side of the design show slight doubling. The breadth of the doubling — spanning inscriptions, portrait features, and design elements across multiple zones of the obverse — indicates a significant hub displacement event that affected a large portion of the die face. The reverse classification B2b features a Medium High S mintmark. The 1928-S Peace Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint with a mintage of 1,632,000 pieces in 90% silver, weighing 26.73 grams at 38.1 mm diameter. The 1928-S is notable as one of the lower-mintage Peace Dollar dates, and the combination of its relative scarcity with VAM-4's distinctive facial feature doubling makes this variety especially appealing to Peace Dollar specialists who seek varieties with strong visual impact beyond standard inscription doubling.

External References