1922-P Peace Dollar - VAM - Extra Hair

Peace Dollar
1921–1935

Designed three years after the end of World War I, the Peace Dollar was created to commemorate the conclusion of the “war to end all wars.” The Peace Dollar was minted from 1921 to 1928, and again from 1934 to 1935. It was the last coin of its denomination until 1971 with the production of the Eisenhower Dollar. Preceding the Peace Dollar was the Morgan Dollar.

As a result of the Pittman Act in 1918, which allowed the conversion of previously minted silver dollars into bullion, the U.S. Mint struck millions of dollar coins to replace the ones taken out of circulation. The new coins were struck with the Morgan Dollar design after a seventeen-year hiatus. The dollar coin was quickly replaced by a new design, the Peace Dollar, at the end of 1921. The Peace Dollar was designed by Italian immigrant Anthony de Francisci after winning a competition to design a coin emblematic of peace. At thirty-four years old, de Francisci was the competition’s youngest competitor. The competition also included several other artists notable to numismatics, all of whom had previously designed U.S. coins: Hermon MacNeil (Standing Liberty Quarter), Victor D. Brenner (Lincoln Cent), and Adolf A. Weinman (Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty Half Dollar).

The obverse of the Peace Dollar features Lady Liberty, facing left, with only her head and neck in view. She is featured with flowing hair loosely tied up in a bun and a crown on top of her head. Anthony de Francisci based the design of Liberty on his wife, Teresa de Francisci. The inscription “LIBERTY” curves over the top of the design. The phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” is inscribed horizontally, bisected by Liberty’s neck. The minting date is inscribed at the bottom of the coin under her neck.

The reverse of the Peace Dollar features a bald eagle, perched on a rock, facing right, and holding an olive branch. In the background, there are rays of sunlight shining towards the eagle. When the design was originally announced, it included a broken sword. However, the public expressed concern for the design, viewing the broken sword as a symbol of defeat, so it was hastily removed. The inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are at the top of the design, curving over the top of the eagle. “ONE DOLLAR” is inscribed horizontally in the lower middle part of the coin. At the bottom of the coin, the word “PEACE” is very symbolically inscribed at the base of the rock. 

The Peace Dollar was minted in three different locations — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. While Peace Dollars minted in Philadelphia had no mint mark, “D” represented the Denver Mint and “S” represented the San Francisco mint. Spanning from 1921 to 1935, there were twenty-four different date and mint mark combinations throughout the entire series, in which over 190 million coins were struck. The 1928 Peace Dollar is sought after due to its low mintage. In addition, a 1921 dollar is popular because it was struck in high relief, creating a highly detailed design.

Specifications
Weight: 26.73 grams
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7734 troy oz), 10% Copper
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Edge: Reeded
Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco