1926-S VAM-1B2

Description

Discovered by David Close, VAM-1B2 of the 1926 San Francisco Peace Dollar carries distinctive evidence of die maintenance in the form of heavy file lines and a polishing-related gouge. Cataloged under die class 1B2 II 1 - B2a with a rarity of I-2 R-6, this variety exhibits heavy die file lines below the R in LIBERTY and in front of Liberty's hair bun, along with a weak gouge below the E in LIBERTY that resulted from the same file or polishing work. Die filing was a routine maintenance procedure at the United States Mint, employed to remove clash marks, minor damage, or other imperfections from a die's surface so it could continue in service rather than being retired prematurely. When the filing was vigorous enough, it left linear impressions on the die that transferred as raised lines to struck coins. The 1926-S Peace Dollar is one of the lower-mintage issues in the series, which adds a layer of base-date scarcity to the already very rare status of this particular die variety. Collectors searching for VAM-1B2 should focus on the area below LIBERTY's R and near the hair bun, where the file lines are most prominent under moderate magnification. =1926-S VAM-1B2 Die Gouge Below E, Die File Lines Below R= Discovered by David Close. 1B2 II 1 · B2a (Die Gouge Below E, Die File Lines Below R) I-2 R-6 Obverse II 1– Some heavy die file lines below R in LIBERTY and in front of hair bun with weak gouge below E from die file/polishing.

External References