1925-S VAM-1E

Description

Discovered in March 2008, the 1925-S VAM-1E Peace Dollar carries the classification II 1 - B2a (Double Clash Spikes Eagle's Shoulder) with an impact rating of I-2 and a rarity of R-6, placing it among the scarcer documented varieties within the Peace Dollar series. The obverse (II 1) shows some specimens with raised dots and splotches from a rusted die in the fields and on the Liberty head — surface texture patterns created when moisture exposure caused corrosion pitting in the steel die face, with the pits translating into raised features on struck coins. The reverse (B2a) presents the variety's defining feature: die clash double spikes of close spacing extending upward from the eagle's right shoulder, transferred from the back of Liberty's head on the obverse die during two separate clash events. The "double" clash designation indicates two independent die-to-die impacts at slightly different orientations, creating overlapping spike patterns from the transferred hair lines of Liberty's portrait. Localized die file lines are present near the clash marks, documenting an attempted but incomplete removal of the transferred design elements through die maintenance polishing. The Peace Dollar was designed by Anthony de Francisci, featuring the radiant Liberty head obverse and perched bald eagle reverse, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1925 in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a 38.1 mm diameter. The 1925-S had a mintage of approximately 1.6 million pieces — a relatively low figure that contributes to the date's overall scarcity. The R-6 rarity rating combined with the low mintage makes the VAM-1E a challenging variety to locate, and the reverse clash spikes provide the most reliable attribution feature for confirming this specific die marriage.

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