1935-S VAM-4

Description

Discovered by Jeff Oxman in April 1999 and recognized as a Top 50 Peace Dollar VAM, the 1935-S VAM-4 Doubled Lower Reverse is classified as 4 III 1 Cb with an I-2 rarity and R-4 scarcity rating. The obverse (III 1) presents a normal die, while the reverse (Cb) displays slightly doubled bottom edges on the top right leaves and top two olives in the olive sprig, the bottom edge of the left and right claws of the eagle's right foot, and the lower left edge of the left leg feathers. This subtle but diagnostically consistent doubling on the lower reverse elements earned VAM-4 its Top 50 designation, a distinction reserved for the most numismatically significant Peace Dollar varieties as determined by the VAMWorld community. The 1935-S Peace Dollar is the final San Francisco issue in the series, struck at the end of a production run that had been interrupted after 1928 and briefly resumed in 1934-1935. Anthony de Francisci's high-relief design features Liberty wearing a radiate crown on the obverse and a perched eagle with an olive branch on the reverse, struck in 90% silver at 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 mm. The San Francisco Mint produced approximately 1.96 million Peace Dollars in 1935, making the S-mint issue substantially scarcer than the Philadelphia striking. The R-4 scarcity rating indicates an estimated surviving population of 75 to 200 specimens, placing this variety in the moderately scarce category — uncommon enough to command a premium but available to dedicated searchers. Collectors should examine the lower reverse elements under magnification, focusing on the olive sprig details and eagle's foot where the doubling is most consistently visible.

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