Rare Coins Daily Rare coin guides and inquiries

PEACE DOLLAR

1921–1935
HIGH RELIEF • 90% SILVER • 1928 KEY • 1934-S • MINTMARKS • STRIKE DIAGNOSTICS
SORTING LEGEND
P1Pull Immediately / Authenticate
P2Check Carefully / Better Date
P3Common / Condition Pull
HRHigh Relief
LRLow Relief
Ag90% silver
VAMDie variety attribution
AUTHAuthenticate
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Microscope
or 10x loupe
0.01g
Scale
Good
Lighting
VAM / Ref.
Guide
1P1 MONEY COINS
Date / IssuePri.What To Check
1921 High ReliefP1First year; one-year high-relief circulation type
1922 High Relief ProofP1Ultra-rare proof/pattern issue; authenticate
1924-SP2Better S-mint date; scarce in high grade
1925-SP2Condition rarity in Gem grades
1928 PhiladelphiaP1Key low-mintage business strike
1934-SP1Major condition rarity, especially Mint State

1921 HR

1921 High Relief Peace dollar placeholder

High relief first-year type.

1922 HR Proof

1922 High Relief Matte Proof Peace dollar placeholder

Proof rarity; authenticate.

1928

1928 Peace dollar placeholder

Key Philadelphia issue.

1934-S

1934-S Peace dollar placeholder

Major grade rarity.

2TYPE GUIDE & SILVER
Type / EraYearsDiagnostic
High Relief1921Bold one-year circulation type, hard to strike fully
Low Relief1922–1935Modified lower relief for normal production
Regular Production1921–1928, 1934–1935No regular Peace dollars struck 1929–1933
1964-DDestroyed issueStruck but not released; no legal collectible examples known
Peace dollar obverse placeholderOBVERSE
Peace dollar reverse placeholderREVERSE
Silver Edge
Clad Edge
Specs: Peace dollars are 90% silver and 10% copper, 26.73g, 38.1mm, reeded edge, with 0.7734 troy oz silver.
3KEY DATES & MINTMARKS
DatePri.Notes
1921P1High Relief first-year type
1924-SP2Low mintage S-mint date
1925-SP2Condition-sensitive San Francisco issue
1927P2Lower mintage Philadelphia date
1927-DP2Better Denver date
1928P1Lowest mintage regular Peace dollar
1934-SP1Key condition rarity
1935-SP2Better final-year S-mint date
Mintmark location: D or S mintmark appears on the reverse, below ONE and above the eagle’s tail/wing-tip area. Philadelphia coins have no mintmark.
4STRIKE & CONDITION DIAGNOSTICS
Peace dollar hair and cheek detail placeholderHAIR / CHEEK
Peace dollar eagle detail placeholderEAGLE DETAIL
FeaturePull If
Hair DetailSharp central hair over Liberty’s ear and high points
CheekClean cheek with few contact marks
EagleStrong breast, wing, and leg detail
LusterOriginal cartwheel luster, not cleaned or over-dipped
S-Mint StrikeSan Francisco pieces can be weak; sharp examples are better
1921 strike note: High Relief Peace dollars were difficult to strike properly; many are weak at Liberty’s hair and reverse center.
5VARIETIES & ERROR COINS
Variety / ErrorPri.What To Look For
1934 DDOP2Doubled die obverse; check motto/date
VAM VarietiesP2Die cracks, doubling, mintmark placement, breaks
1922 High Relief ProofP1Matte/proof surface and high relief; authenticate
Wrong PlanchetP1Wrong weight/metal/diameter
Major Off-CenterP2Visible date preferred
Major Die Break / CudP2Large raised break at rim/design
1922 High Relief proof Peace dollar placeholder1922 HR PROOF
1934-S Peace dollar placeholderS-MINT KEY
Authenticate: 1922 High Relief Proof, 1928, 1934-S in high grade, major VAMs, and all expensive Mint State examples.
6QUICK SORT CHECKLIST

CHECK FIRST

  1. 1921 High Relief
  2. 1922 High Relief Proof
  3. 1924-S
  4. 1925-S
  5. 1927
  6. 1927-D
  7. 1928 Philadelphia
  8. 1934-S
  9. 1935-S
  10. Clean high-grade S-mints
Fast workflow: separate all Peace dollars → read date → check mintmark → pull 1921/1928/1934-S → inspect relief, strike, cheek, luster, and VAM/error candidates.
Warning: 1964-D Peace dollars were struck and destroyed; no legally collectible examples are known. Treat any claim with extreme skepticism.
Notice Updated