1926-S VAM-1AC

Description

Discovered in 2015 by Thomas Petrosie and John Roberts, the 1926-S VAM-1AC is a die-repair variety on the San Francisco Mint Peace Dollar designed by Anthony de Francisci. Cataloged as 1AC II1 - B2a and titled "Ray Engraved Below Mountain," this variety carries a rarity of R-5 with an interest rating of I-2. The reverse reveals a clashed die that underwent repair: die file lines are visible on the rays right of the olive branch where a Mint worker filed down transferred obverse elements. Most distinctively, one ray left of center mountain has an engraved extension added below the mountain — an intentional repair where a die engraver hand-cut additional ray detail to restore a design element damaged during filing. This combination of mechanical filing and hand engraving on a single die provides a rare glimpse into San Francisco Mint repair techniques, where restoring a die was preferred over preparing a replacement. The 1926-S Peace Dollar is one of the lower-mintage entries in the series, adding scarcity that makes documented die varieties from this date particularly appealing to collectors.

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