1924-S VAM-1I

Description

Discovered in 2010, the 1924-S VAM-1I Peace Dollar features a combination of die file lines across the upper obverse field and around the date, along with a distinctive beveled field below the date where the die surface was ground to a slight angle. Die file lines result from hand-finishing of the die surface — a maintenance procedure used to smooth imperfections or remove earlier clash marks — and their presence on this variety indicates the die received deliberate attention from Mint personnel during its service life. The beveled field below the date creates a subtle slope in the metal surface that can be detected under low-angle lighting, distinguishing this die from the flat-field standard. Classified as II1 B2a with an I-2 interest level and R-5 rarity — approximately 31 to 200 known examples — the VAM-1I occupies a moderate position in the rarity spectrum for 1924-S Peace Dollar varieties. The San Francisco Mint's 1924 production occurred during the middle of the Peace Dollar series, and die maintenance varieties like this one reveal the practical realities of keeping dies serviceable throughout their working life. Obverse die file lines and beveled fields, while subtle, provide collectors with tangible evidence of the human intervention involved in early 20th-century coin production.

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