1935-S VAM-1

Description

The final year of Peace dollar production yielded 1.96 million coins at the San Francisco Mint, and VAM-1 establishes the standard die marriage for this terminal-date issue. The 1935-S Peace dollar holds special significance as one of the last three dates in the series (alongside 1935-P and 1934-D/S), marking the end of Anthony de Francisci's design that had graced the nation's silver dollar since 1921. San Francisco's relatively low output of under two million pieces ensures that all 1935-S die varieties carry inherent scarcity compared to the common early-1920s dates. The VAM-1 designation indicates the baseline die marriage with no extraordinary diagnostics — standard date position, normal mintmark placement, and no significant die gouges, scratches, or breaks that would warrant a sub-variety suffix. The small S mintmark on the reverse below the eagle's tail feathers identifies the San Francisco origin. De Francisci's design would not see further production until the short-lived 1964-D Peace dollar trial (which was melted and never officially released), making 1935 the true conclusion of the series for collectors. The 90% silver dollar weighs 26.73 grams with a diameter of 38.1 millimeters, and the 1935-S is often encountered with softer strikes on the obverse hair detail above Liberty's ear — a characteristic shared with other late San Francisco Peace dollar issues. Collectors building a complete date-and-mint VAM set typically start with VAM-1 coins to establish a reference baseline before pursuing the more exotic sub-varieties.

External References