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2005 Best Presented Set
35181
Points
Barry's Peace Gems
Peace Silver Dollars! This coin was created to commemorate the end of World War I, which at the time was thought to be the "War to end all wars". Millions of soldiers died during the war, and parts of the European landscape were devastated. Coincidentally, production of the Peace dollar ceased in 1935, just prior to the start of Hitler's invasion of western Europe.
Designed by Anthony de Francisci, the coin underwent a transformation after the 1921 issue proved difficult to form due to the original high relief design. This change was made much to the chagrin of Mr. de Francisci. Even after the change was made to reduce the relief, the series was still plagued by weak strikes, particularly in those coins produced in the San Francisco Mint. A poorly struck Peace dollar is most evident in the lack of hair detail over Liberty's ear on the obverse, and by lack of feather detail on the eagle on the reverse.
Peace Dollars were minted in three different mints: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Coins from Philadelphia do not have a mint mark, while those from Denver and San Francisco carry a very small "D" or S", respectively, on the reverse of the coin just under the "One" at approximately the 8:00 position.
Assembling a set in mint state grades is not difficult, but a set in MS65 and higher is a huge challenge due to the lack of gem specimens in some of the San Francisco issues, particularly the '24 S, '25 S, '28 S, and '34 S. The 1934 S is widely considered the key to the series, even though the '25 S and '28 S are rarer in MS65.
The grading of Peace dollars follows the rules for most other coins; however, Peace dollars are most often downgraded due to the previously mentioned characteristic weak strike, as well as marks on Miss Liberty's cheek and neck.
This set is a work in process, with the current goal being to upgrade the set to achieve MS65 minimum grades for each issue. To qualify for inclusion in the set, a coin must be completely white, have great luster, a well-defined strike, and terrific eye appeal.
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NGC Expert Comments:
Though Peace Dollars were coined in large numbers during 1922-23 and in somewhat smaller quantities other years, most remained idle in vaults for decades. While all but a few dates are common enough in the lower mint state grades, this series is very difficult to assemble at the gem level.The set presented here is not only complete, but nearly all of the coins grade MS-65 or higher. One, the 1934-D, even carries the NGC star designation for outstanding eye appeal. Moreover, this set is well documented, with good photos of each entry and informative text to accompany them. Indeed, this presentation qualifies as an online guide book to the Peace Dollar series. Bravo!