1926-S VAM-1AB

Description

Discovered in 2014 by David Close, the 1926-S VAM-1AB "Die File Lines TY" Peace dollar documents heavy vertical die file lines extending from Liberty's rear hair strands upward to the letters T and Y in LIBERTY on Anthony de Francisci's obverse design. Cataloged as 1AB II 1 B2a (Die File Lines TY) with die classification I-2 and rarity rating R-5 (approximately 30-75 known), this variety provides physical evidence of Mint die maintenance procedures applied during the production run. Die file lines in this context were specifically applied in an attempt to remove die cracks — a remedial technique where mint workers filed the die surface to reduce or eliminate the raised crack lines appearing on struck coins, effectively sacrificing some design detail to extend the die's usable service life. San Francisco struck approximately 6.98 million Peace dollars in 1926, one of the lower mintages in the series, and the need for die crack removal suggests this particular die was being pushed to maximize its output during a production run where replacement dies may have been in limited supply. The vertical orientation of the file lines — running from the hair strands up to TY — distinguishes this variety from die polish lines (which tend to be finer and more random) and from the surrounding design elements. The heavy characterization indicates the filing was aggressive enough to leave clearly visible traces that survived the striking process and remain detectable on the finished coins. Collectors should examine the area between Liberty's rear hair strands and the letters TY under 15-20x magnification, looking for parallel vertical incuse lines that cut across the design elements in a manner inconsistent with the original engraving.

External References