Peace Dollars

The Peace Dollar was designed by Anthony de Francisci. It was created to commemorate the return of peace, following the conclusion of World War I and replaced the popular Morgan Dollar. The series marked the final silver dollar coin struck for regular circulation and includes some special highlights and challenges.

The 1921 Peace Dollar was struck in high relief, creating an interesting one year type coin. The obverse and reverse of the coin are both in high relief, creating a bold and striking image. The high relief of the coin did cause some production problems. The strikes are particularly light near the center of the coin. On the obverse this is noted in the details of the hair and on the reverse the details of the eagle.

For the remainder of the series from 1922 to 1935, the relief was lowered to reduce problems encountered striking the coins. The mintages for the earlier years of the series are quite high and remained so until about 1925, when mintages started to show declines. The lowest mintage coin for the series is the 1928 Peace Dollar with only 360,649 produced.

Some of the Peace Dollars minted at San Francisco are particularly difficult to find in gem condition. Several years, such as the 1924-S, 1925-S, and 1934-S are often characterized by weak strikes or excessive bag marks which preclude higher grades. While circulated examples of these coins can be obtained without much of a premium, coins graded MS65 are quite expensive.

Coin Specifications

Dates: 1921-1935
Mint: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Weight: 26.73 grams

More Information: Peace Dollar Mintage