1923-S VAM-1BA

Description

Subsequently eliminated as a duplicate — determined to share the same reverse die as VAM-1AK2 and VAM-1CC — VAM-1BA was originally cataloged as a die clash variety on the 1923 San Francisco Peace Dollar with rarity ratings of I-2 for interest and R-5 for scarcity. Classified as II1 - B2a (Long Spike Eagle's Shoulder), the reverse die shows a die clash manifesting as a long vertical raised spike extending upward from the eagle's right shoulder, originating from the back of Liberty's neck on the obverse die, reaching up toward the left U in UNUM. This clash spike formed when the obverse and reverse dies struck each other without an intervening planchet, transferring the neck contour from the obverse portrait onto the reverse die. San Francisco struck approximately 19.02 million Peace Dollars in 1923, and die clashes were a regular occurrence during high-speed production. Though eliminated through die-sharing analysis that connected it to VAM-1AK2 and VAM-1CC, the documentation of VAM-1BA preserves the research history and prevents future duplicate attributions. The long spike at the eagle's shoulder remains a visually dramatic clash feature regardless of the variety's de-listed status.

External References