1927-S VAM-1C2

Description

David Close discovered this Peace dollar variety in 2015, receiving the VAM-1C2 designation under classification II 1 with a B2a reverse die pairing, rated I-2 for interest and R-5 for rarity, placing it among the scarcer documented die marriages for the date. The obverse displays die file lines spread across the entire field, evidence of extensive die maintenance that smoothed the surface but left telltale linear traces visible under magnification. The reverse uses a different die from the related VAM-1C1, featuring a micro style 1 S mint mark that stands without the tilt seen on some other 1927-S dies. This reverse is a clashed die with heavy die file lines applied to the fields in an attempt to remove the clash mark impressions, covering a substantial portion of the reverse surface. The relationship between VAM-1C2 and VAM-1C1 is sequential: VAM-1C2 represents the earlier die state before the reverse die was changed, meaning the 1C2 reverse preceded the 1C1 reverse in the production sequence. The 1927-S Peace dollar had a mintage of 866,000, one of the lower figures in the series and a factor in the R-5 rarity rating. Collectors seeking this variety should look for the untilted micro S mint mark as the initial screening criterion before examining the field file lines.

External References