1924-S VAM-1

Description

Documenting the baseline die pairing for one of the Peace Dollar series' genuine key dates, the 1924-S VAM-1 establishes the normal die combination for a coin struck with a mintage of just 1,728,000 pieces — one of the lowest production figures in the entire series. This limited output means the San Francisco Mint employed few working die pairs, constraining the universe of possible VAM varieties and giving each cataloged entry proportionally greater significance. Anthony de Francisci's Peace Dollar was struck in 90% silver at 26.73 grams on 38.1mm planchets, and the 1924-S is widely recognized as a date where survivors in higher Mint State grades command substantial premiums reflecting both limited mintage and typically softer strikes. As the baseline VAM-1, this die pair serves as the reference standard: whatever diagnostic features define it constitute the "normal" against which researchers identify deviations on any other 1924-S die varieties. For collectors, the 1924-S VAM-1 combines key-date desirability with the foundational role of a baseline catalog entry, making it both a series cornerstone and the starting point for die variety study of this scarce issue.

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