The Beginning of the End of the Peace Dollar! The 1927 Philadelphia Mint Issue in Uncirculated!
The Peace Dollar was the final silver dollar ever produced by the United States Mint that was meant for everyday circulation. This iconic Silver Dollar was minted from 1921 to 1928 and was brought back for one more run in 1934 and 1935. Usually, when it comes to collecting, the first and last coins in a series are the some of the most sought after, but when it comes to Peace Dollars there are a few other years that collectors clamor to get their hands on.
One of these sought after years is the 1927 issue... 1927 is an important year in the Peace Dollar Series because it was the final year that all three United States Mints (Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco) would strike this beautiful silver dollar. We recently came across a few rolls of 1927 Peace Dollars struck at the Philadelphia Mint while at the coin show in Pittsburgh. Once we got back and broke the rolls open to take a closer look at the coins we were shocked: more than half of these silver dollars were still in uncirculated condition after over 92 years secreted away in a crawl space
No Congressional Approval? No Problem for this Silver Dollar!
The Peace Dollar was issued without congressional approval under the terms of the Pittman Act of 1918. The act referred to a bullion dollar being created, but did not specify the design. Coin collectors lobbied the Mint to issue a coin that memorialized the peace following World War I. Congress would not pass a bill requiring a design change (the Morgan was the last released), but they were able to persuade government officials to take action.
The original design of the peace dollar was in high-relief. The images of Liberty and Majestic Eagle were created higher than traditional coins, but after only a month the design was re-worked. The coins wouldn't stack properly, creating an issue for merchants across the country. The design incorporated the word "In God We Trust" like all U.S. coins ... but the word "Trust" was spelled "Trvst" - the letter V for victory in WWI.
A True Rarity: the 2nd rarest Peace Dollar ever struck!
The Peace Dollar was rushed into production in the closing weeks of 1921 to commemorate the end of World War I (then commonly referred to as the "Great War".) The design features a proud presentation of Lady Liberty donning a crown of light with a perched American Bald Eagle watching a sunrise on the reverse. In a sign of remembrance, designer Anthony di Francisci emblazoned the gorgeous design with the phrase "Peace." This design resulted in the public falling in love with this stunning silver dollar!
In 1927 the Philadelphia Mint struck only 848,000 Silver Peace Dollars, which made it the lowest mintage peace dollar struck in 1927. ..Add in the fact that is was also the 2nd rarest Peace Dollar ever struck, and you have a true-blue collector’s piece that is the perfect fit for any collection!
