1923-S VAM-1AC

Description

Discovered by David Close and rated I-2 R-5, VAM-1AC on the 1923 San Francisco Peace Dollar documents a very widely spaced double clash where spikes from Liberty's obverse neck design appear transferred onto the eagle's shoulder on the reverse. This clash variety is classified as pattern number 2 for eagle's shoulder clash spikes, the second documented instance of this specific transfer location among 1923-S VAMs. Die clashes occur when obverse and reverse dies contact each other without an intervening planchet. The "very widely spaced" qualifier distinguishes this double clash from tighter patterns, indicating the die pair struck each other twice with significant positional shift between events. The transferred spikes from Liberty's neck appearing on the eagle's shoulder cross the obverse-to-reverse boundary, placing obverse design elements in incuse form on the reverse die surface. The 1923-S Peace Dollar was produced at San Francisco in substantial quantity, and Close's documentation adds to the growing catalog of clash varieties on this date. Eagle's shoulder clash transfers are a recognized diagnostic zone in Peace Dollar VAM scholarship.

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