1923-S VAM-1AH

Description

Filed to arrest a die crack rather than to remove clash marks, the die file lines on this 1923 San Francisco Peace Dollar serve a different purpose than those on most filed-die varieties. Eric Justice discovered VAM-1AH in April 2006, cataloging it as 1AH II 1 B2a with an interest level of I-2 and a rarity rating of R-5. The title "Die File Lines Lower Obverse #2" identifies this as the second documented instance of lower obverse filing for the 1923-S date. Heavy die file lines surround IN GOD WE and the 19 of the date, applied to halt a die crack running through the lower leg of G. The crack's position is precisely defined within the VAM catalog: it sits lower than the corresponding crack on VAM-1J but higher than VAM-1AF, allowing researchers to distinguish between the three varieties by the crack's vertical position through G. This diagnostic specificity exemplifies the granular analysis that Peace Dollar VAM research demands. The San Francisco Mint struck 19,020,000 Peace Dollars in 1923, and die cracks requiring intervention would have been a routine maintenance concern at that production volume. =1923-S VAM-1AH Die File Lines Lower Obverse #2= Discovered by Eric Justice, April 2006.

External References