1927-S VAM-1G

Description

Classified in the Van Allen-Mallis system for the 1927-S Peace Dollar, VAM-1G carries the descriptor "Die File Lines BERT" and the catalog notation "1G II 1 - B2a (Die File Lines BERT) I-2 R-6." The R-6 rarity rating indicates fewer than 50 known examples, placing this firmly in the scarce category within the Peace Dollar VAM hierarchy. The I-2 interest level suggests moderate collector appeal. The defining diagnostic appears on the obverse: heavy die file lines are concentrated around the letters BERT (from LIBERTY), with particularly long lines extending to the right of the letter E. Die file lines result from maintenance performed on the working die at the Mint — workers used files to smooth or adjust the die surface, and the file marks created during this process transferred as fine raised lines on subsequently struck coins. These lines are production artifacts rather than design elements, documenting the hand-finishing techniques employed at the San Francisco Mint during the 1920s. The 1927-S Peace Dollar carries a mintage of 866,000, making it one of the lower-production dates in the series and amplifying the significance of any documented die variety. The VAM catalog provides mint mark position photography as an additional diagnostic tool, since the position and tilt of the S mintmark varied between die installations and helps confirm specific die pair attribution. Anthony de Francisci's Peace Dollar design, with its detailed LIBERTY inscription in raised letters across the crown of rays, created an area where die file maintenance frequently left visible traces.

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