Aesthetics and characteristics of Morgan dollars vs. Peace dollars

logger7

Why do you prefer Morgan dollars over Peace dollars or vice verse? Is it the rarity factor, the years they were minted, the designs, the history behind each?

Please share your thoughts for each.

Personally I like the concept behind the Peace dollar following the brutal WWI, the "war to end all wars". However I find the Morgan dollar a more historical looking coin, the eagle and the lady seem more serious and a down to business quality. The Peace dollar is a lighter themed coin.

CCDollar

I like them both because I grew up with them in my pockets. Take care...

CC

Walkerfan

I like them both but prefer the history, scarcity and design of the Morgan just a bit more. I prefer that rendition of Miss Liberty with her wide cheeks and flowing/wavy/curly locks. I like the spread/Heraldic Eagle on the reverse better, too.

TurtleCat

For me it has to do with luster. You just don’t see peace dollars with dmpl or frosted dmpl. The flatter fields of the Morgans also seem to lend itself to nicer cartwheels. Then factor all the toning variations that can be interesting. Morgan dollars just offer more to me.

That said, I still like peace dollars.

braddick

Post-WW1 coins appeal to me a bit more than prior. A fully struck Peace dollar with GEM blazing luster is a sight to behold.

CoinJunkie

I currently own one of each, so I guess I like them about equally.

7Jaguars

I tend to like the Peace a little better but, yikes, that lower jaw has issues..Known medically as hypognathism, the lower jaw or mandible is TOO short and that gives Liberty a bit of a "Bucky" look. The rest looks great IMO.

The Morgan dollar? What can I say, that girl is just too chunky and a bit of a farm girl look there and not exactly a supermodel....LOL

I like the older version of the eagle on the Morgan reverse, but the eagle on the Peace dollar IMO more majestic.

coinbuf

A fully struck Morgan with a nice clean full cheek is far more visually appealing to me than any Peace dollar, the Morgan bust is better and more attractive than the Peace bust. I also prefer the eagle on the reverse of the Morgan over the Peace but I will say that the Peace reverse is very nice. The one thing that Morgans have going for them that the Peace will never have is all the different mint those were struck at, I enjoy seeing the CC and O mintmarks on coins.

ricko

I like them both... If I have a slight preference, it is likely in favor of Morgans... I collected the CC series years ago, a mint mark that has always intrigued me. I have a lot of Peace dollars too, but never got as involved with them. Cheers, RickO

Namvet69

Love them both, have many and I've been learning about VAM's. I ordered the big VAM book, should arrive in a few days. VAM world is great but I need the reference book. Peace Roy

Zoins

They are both great coins. Large, silver and accessible to all levels of collectors.

dogwood

Peace Dollars always seemed fun and impressive, possibly under appreciated as a design, easy to complete a dansco if wanted, but perhaps too easy. Like in 2 hours easy.

I have just discovered Morgan Dollars after probably 50 years of knowing they exist. For me they were always the flyover or drive-by coin, I’ve never stopped in to look. Cases upon cases of the exact same shiny object.
I had until last month 2 Morgans found in a clean-out of my wife’s parents home.

Then, looking for something else online, I stumbled across a group of raw sliders with the coolest dusty skin and dirty randomness.
I am most attracted to this look on coins, and Morgans wear it very well. So I have been looking for cheap but kind of scarce examples like these to plug into a book.
Of course scarce is a relative term.
There are buckets of these out there, but I think long overdue that I should have some to admire.

BryceM

The Peace dollar is my favorite design of any coin. Their chief problem is that, unlike a Morgan, they aren't all that appealing below MS64 or so. Add to that difficulties with striking, and 95% of the extant coins just aren't that attractive. The Morgan is a well-balanced design and it wears well. As was said previously, a nicely struck, fully lustrous Peace dollar is a marvelously gorgeous coin, they just don't usually come that way. I just don't really care for the Morgan design all that much and I can't explain exactly why.

If they all looked like this, Miss Peace would give Miss Morgan a run for her money:

Eldorado9

One of my favorite coins of all time is the Morgan Dollar, and particularly in Proof condition, with cameo and/or attractive toning. It is a king among coins. Nothing against the Peace Dollar, I quite like the design actually, but it can't compare to this:

RedStorm

I like 'em both! The Morgan is like mom and the Peace is like the girl you wished lived next door...!

airplanenut

I think Morgan dollars much more often come really nice (great lustre or frosty devices) but as iconic as the design is, I think the Peace dollar design is more pleasing, with both the bust and eagle appearing more realistic. That said, I have a lot more Morgans than Peace dollars, because see my first point.

braddick

ChangeInHistory

The Peace Dollar design is much better, but as pointed out by those more knowledgeable than me, they don't come really nice looking like Morgans. The toning, the strike, the luster, etc.
I think another appeal of Morgans is that most Morgan dollars start with an 18, not a 19.

This Peace dollar caught my eye, lots of hidden colors. It will be among the last coins I sell (PCGS 64)