Show off your sharply struck Peace dollars

veryfine · November 30, 2008 4:09AM

Peace dollars usually have a mushy, poorly struck look. It is expected that "S" mint issues have these negative characteristics, but MOST dates, regardless of mint origin, have missing detail. The word "PEACE" is so weak, that one must tilt the coin a certain way to see it! The eagle feathers blend together and all reverse lettering is incredibly flat. I realize that these coins have detail limitations due to original hub design, but there are always a few early strikes that stand out.
It would be fun and educational to see some sharply struck low relief Peace dollars from forum members. They don't need to have booming luster and fantastic eye-appeal, but that is always welcome.
So show us some Peace dollars that are well-struck or better yet, FULLY STRUCK for the date.

garsmith · November 30, 2008 5:03AM

Halfhunter06 · November 30, 2008 5:38AM

I just read Burdettes new book on Peace Dollars, gives a great table on the sharpness of 1921 specimens.

veryfine · November 30, 2008 7:00AM

Wow, it's a real snoozer in here today. I guess sharply struck Peace dollars are even rarer than I thought.

garsmith · November 30, 2008 7:10AM

Well they are few and far between.

Goldbully · November 30, 2008 7:18AM

Not so sharply struck, but still a sharpie!!!

veryfine · November 30, 2008 7:21AM

Here's one I found from a recent forum post by "Mesquite." It is a very sharp 1924 Peace dollar. Scroll down and have a look.
forum member 24 Peace

RWB · November 30, 2008 8:22AM

Sharply struck Peace dollars are tough to find in part because the design is mushy to start with. Quality control was not very good much of the time and no body really cared how they looked. A further factor is that new dies – ones capable of the best looking coins – did not have the kind of mirror-like or lustrous fields common on Morgan dollars. A coin from new dies will have a satin-like, metallic look very unlike other coins, and not something most collectors look for.

Goldbully · November 30, 2008 8:23AM

<< Here's one I found from a recent forum post by "Mesquite." It is a very sharp 1924 Peace dollar. Scroll down and have a look.
forum member 24 Peace >>

>>

veryfine · November 30, 2008 9:31AM

Thanks Goldbully,
Certainly more efficient than my vague link.

mkman123 · November 30, 2008 9:35AM

garsmith, wow what a great collection of peace dollars in high grades!

veryfine, that 1924 peace that Goldbully linked the pic is very nice!

veryfine · November 30, 2008 9:52AM

<< garsmith, wow what a great collection of peace dollars in high grades!

veryfine, that 1924 peace that Goldbully linked the pic is very nice! >>

I agree, garsmith's collection is amazing.
Can you believe that linked 1924? You rarely see a bold strike like that on any 1922-1928 Peace dollar. Look at the obverse hair detail and reverse lettering. Wow.

COINB0Y · November 30, 2008 10:07AM

veryfine · November 30, 2008 10:13AM

COINB0Y,
That's a sharp 1923.

COINB0Y · November 30, 2008 10:30AM

Thanks!

robec · November 30, 2008 10:31AM

veryfine · November 30, 2008 10:52AM

Bob,
I love your high relief. I didn't want to include high relief 21 Peace dollars as examples because they look great even when poorly struck. The low relief type is normally so flat and lifeless, that even slightly above average strikes get my attention. However, since the high reliefs here, I'll include mine.

FilamCoins · November 30, 2008 10:57AM

Does this count?

robec · November 30, 2008 11:27AM

OK, I'll go with a low relief

robec · November 30, 2008 11:31AM

Reverse is a little spongy.

Tbar · November 30, 2008 12:56PM

PutTogether · November 30, 2008 4:39PM

Not GREAT on the reverse, but pretty good. Very good on the obverse I would say.

veryfine · December 1, 2008 8:54AM

Sharply struck Peace dollars are few and far between.
Some nice examples here.

RWB · December 1, 2008 12:06PM

Here's a nice 1927-D - not especially scarce but good detail.

ElKevvo · December 1, 2008 12:33PM

That 27-D has some of the best hair detail I have seen in a while...really nice!

K

robec · December 1, 2008 12:40PM

The strike on the 1927-D just blows the others away. Super strike.

veryfine · December 1, 2008 12:49PM

RWB,
THAT'S the kind of strike I'm looking for.

Now I have to ask some of you who are on the fence with regard to Peace dollars. When you see Peace dollars like this, don't you want to run out and get at least one really sharp example?

I know I do, but they are soooooo hard to find.

lasvegasteddy · December 1, 2008 12:50PM

on that 27-d

Crazy4Coins · December 1, 2008 10:53PM

<<

>>

Rob....Nice '21

Looks like your coin is a VAM-1F, struck from matte proof dies.

Very Cool.

Crazy4Coins · December 1, 2008 10:54PM

<< Here's a nice 1927-D - not especially scarce but good detail.

>>

RWB...

Very Nice '27-D, Looks like it could be the Top 50, VAM-2.

Whitby · December 1, 2008 10:56PM

<< Wow, it's a real snoozer in here today. I guess sharply struck Peace dollars are even rarer than I thought.

>>

Wonderful coins

DoubleEagle59 · December 1, 2008 10:59PM

<< RWB,
THAT'S the kind of strike I'm looking for.

Now I have to ask some of you who are on the fence with regard to Peace dollars. When you see Peace dollars like this, don't you want to run out and get at least one really sharp example?

I know I do, but they are soooooo hard to find. >>

You make an excellent point.

If they were more like this one, then yes, you would have a whole lot more Peace Dollar collectors out there.

eyoung429 · December 1, 2008 11:12PM

Since nobody has posted a '22. I will get around to having it slabbed one of these days.

Gotta get out the thorn for this one....

'23

RWB · December 2, 2008 1:19AM

Re: 1927-D. Glad folks find the coin interesting. It’s shown in the "1927-D" sub-section heading illustration in the new Peace dollar book. Doubtful that the obverse die lasted very long given the crack through the base of the portrait.

As for sharp Peace dollars, I think they are still out there to be found. But, few collectors have paid attention to overall quality – most buy for the plastic grade when they could get a much nicer coin for the same money.

Dave Bowers has made this point several times in relation to Standing Liberty quarters and others. Finding a truly high quality coin requires much more than looking at and accepting a number or “FH” descriptor printed on a slab.

(The coin shown has some weak spots, most noticeably the letter “I” on the obverse. I usually look for reverse strike quality first, then turn the coin over and see what date it is. Usually, the reverse will be nice and the obverse looks like a tank ran over it. Now, if I just had the 1927-D double eagle to go with this dollar….)

Show off your sharply struck Peace dollars

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