1934-S VAM-2
Error
Description
Discovered by none other than Leroy Van Allen in December 1965 — one of the two creators of the VAM classification system itself — VAM-2 identifies a high micro S mint mark leaning to the left on the 1934-S Peace Dollar reverse. Classified as III 1 - B2b with R-3 rarity (200–500 known), this is among the more obtainable Peace Dollar varieties, reflecting both the distinctive nature of the tilted mint mark and decades of collector awareness since Van Allen's early research. The 1934-S represents the final year of original Peace Dollar production before the series ceased (a brief 1964 resumption never reached circulation). Mint marks were hand-punched into working dies during this era, and the angle at which the punch was applied varied from die to die, creating collectible positioning varieties. The note that other dies may share this characteristic underscores the inherent variability of hand-punched mint marks across multiple working dies for this date.
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