1935-S VAM-5

Description

Discovered by Jeff Oxman in November 1999, the 1935-S VAM-5 Peace Dollar features doubled reverse left rays — specifically, slightly doubled rays below ONE, the first ray above ONE on its left side, and doubling on the left side of N in ONE along with the back edge of the eagle's neck and beak. Classified as III-1 B2c in the Van Allen-Mallis system with an interest level of I-2 and rarity of R-4, this variety occupies a moderately available position that makes it accessible to collectors while still requiring effort to locate. The 1935-S holds profound significance as the final Peace Dollar struck for circulation — although a 1964-D Peace Dollar was later authorized and reportedly struck in trial quantities, those coins were never released and were allegedly melted. San Francisco's 1935 Peace Dollar mintage of approximately 1.96 million pieces was modest, and the variety work on this date benefits from concentrated collector attention on the last regular-issue Peace Dollars. Anthony de Francisci's reverse design features an eagle perched before a sunrise with radiating rays, and these sharply defined parallel rays are sensitive indicators of hub doubling because even slight displacement between hubbing impressions produces visible separation between the original and shifted ray positions. Doubled ray varieties on Peace Dollars represent a distinct sub-specialty within VAM collecting, appealing to those who appreciate the geometric precision required to identify and photograph the displacement on these fine linear design elements.

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