1923-S VAM-1BF

Description

Heavy die file lines scar the obverse fields of this 1923 San Francisco Peace Dollar, where Mint personnel aggressively polished the die surface in an attempt to remove die cracks and accumulated wear roughness — a maintenance procedure that also over-polished Liberty's front hair and shortened the first three long rays at their base. Classified II1 - B2a with interest I-3 and rarity R-6 (5 to 12 known), VAM-1BF was discovered in 2010 and documents a die that had been significantly modified during its service life. San Francisco struck 19,020,000 Peace Dollars in 1923, a strong output that ranks among the higher S-mint Peace Dollar mintages, yet the R-6 rarity indicates this particular die had a limited production run — likely because the accumulated wear that prompted the filing was severe enough to require die retirement shortly after the maintenance attempt. The file lines visible in the fields provide direct evidence of hand-tool contact with the die face, and the shortened rays demonstrate how aggressive polishing can remove fine design elements that extend to the die surface level. The "1BF" suffix positions this deep within the VAM-1 sub-variety tree for 1923-S, reflecting the extensive research into San Francisco Peace Dollar die marriages that has expanded the catalog well beyond the original VAM numbering.

External References