Does every Peace dollar look like it was struck from eroded dies?

clackamas · November 20, 2009 12:38PM

Does every Peace dollar look like it was struck from eroded dies? I know certain issues as well as anyone but I'll be honest, Peace dollars are not an issue I have studied much nor have followed. However I have been looking for a good type coin for a Peace dollar for a good number of years, I have been dismissing them at arm’s length because of the apparent weak strike. I purchased an MS65 recently, 1925-P, which is a very clean technical coin with attractive toning, and very nice at arms length, yet the strike, to me, is awful. It finally dawned on me that that may be true for all the peace dollars but want to confirm it. To me it appears as if each die was sand blasted before striking its first coin. Do Peace dollars exist with strikes like Morgan’s? I think they may not exist, is this true?

Stuart · November 20, 2009 1:02PM

Clackamas: Here are a few of my favorite Peace Dollars from my collection...

1921 Peace Dollar - Strong Strike, Full Mint Luster & Attractive Toning (High Resolution Images)

1935 Peace Dollar

1921 Peace Dollar

MarkInDavis · November 20, 2009 1:03PM

The strikes are all kind of weak. 1925 has some of the better strikes. You won't find one that looks like a Morgan.

clackamas · November 20, 2009 1:12PM

Stuart, thanks, I take it the 1921's are the high reliefs, and I can see the good detail vs. the poor strike, its like the ear weakness in certain Morgans, but the 35 is something I can compare against. I see the weakenss in the lettering but the strike is much nicer than I have seen in the past. The mushyness in the relief of the devices is still evident on the 35, I guess that is what I am trying to explain. My 25 has a worse strike than your 35, at arms length you can read the lettering but under magnification it becomes hard to see where the letters start.

Weiss · November 20, 2009 1:25PM

Possibly intentional? Clearly the peace, the buffalo, the mercury, the Lincoln--all of the same era--were a reaction to the rigid crispness of their predecessors and followed the design schools of the day.

Marauderrt10 · November 20, 2009 1:51PM

PCGS MS66

clackamas · November 20, 2009 2:11PM

Thanks Marauderrt10, my coin, is just poorly struck, is it really that hard to find well struck Peace dollars? I really want an MS65 or better well struck type coin. I know the 65+ coins are spendy, so I will probasbly stick with 65, but I really want a superb strike. I guess I have to keep looking.

ProofArtworkonCircs · November 20, 2009 2:32PM

The Peace reverse 1922-1935 is certainly weak.
The mint guidelines in that period required reducing from the scupltured model without touching up the subsequent steps in any way. Look at the business strike Washington quarter silver reverse. It is also quite weak and fuzzy.
It was found the obverse was in too high a relief for good striking , so the relief was reduced. The reverse was also reduced which really wasn't necessary and was overkill.

ecichlid · November 20, 2009 2:33PM

Ok, that coin above has an AMAZING strike.

I think the difference from a Morgan to a Peace is not die state, it's the design itself. Very different style of artistry.

Marauderrt10 · November 20, 2009 2:41PM

Thank you, it's one of the best struck peace dollars I've seen. I have two 1925 MS66s that I bought for a $100 each In the last few months, just keep looking and you'll find one

lkeigwin · November 20, 2009 2:52PM

Peace dollars are challenging. The design was not the best with regard to strike, with its opposing high points. Still, there are excellent examples to be found, with a little effort.

Here's an high end '22 with a nice strike...a 67 so maybe a little extreme. But you can find some years with excellent strikes in much lower, affordable grades. Just set expectations appropriately.
Lance.

sinin1 · November 20, 2009 3:06PM

does it look like PEACEMANs from another thread?

Raybo · November 20, 2009 3:40PM

<< <i>does it look like PEACEMANs from another thread?

>>

WOW!

Thanks for posting this coin sinin1.
I'm not sure how to describe it.................but I do like it!

csw · November 20, 2009 10:57PM

Not sure how to put the attached photo into the body of the message, but ... the attached file has a photo of '22 with a decent strike.

clackamas · November 21, 2009 4:42AM

that 1924 is a good example of what I am talking about.

Stuart · November 21, 2009 5:45AM

Clackamas: Following is an attractive 1922 Peace Dollar that I recently purchased, with strong mint luster and a sharp strike for your reference.

1922 Peace Dollar - Strong Mint Luster & Sharp Strike

StubbyMcNumbthumbs · November 21, 2009 9:33AM

<< <i>Clackamas: Following is an attractive 1922 Peace Dollar that I recently purchased, with strong mint luster and a sharp strike for your reference.

1922 Peace Dollar - Strong Mint Luster & Sharp Strike

>>

I understand exactly what Clakamas is talking about and I agree 100%. The coin above is obviously a very nice coin and it's a nice pleasing design, but the lettering, especially on the reverse, is nearly always VERY weak on these. It's one of the main reasons I no longer collect them. I just couldn't find one that looked "right". I've never seen one that I would characterize as a "strong, bold strike", including the ones shown above.

Just my opinion.

ProofArtworkonCircs · November 21, 2009 10:30AM

<<Clackamas: Following is an attractive 1922 Peace Dollar that I recently purchased, with strong mint luster and a sharp strike for your reference. >>

That reverse, at least, appears to be from the first 1922 hub. It might not be strictly fair to compare it with subsequent years which came from the second hub. They are roughly equivalent though.

Cocoinut · November 21, 2009 10:38AM

Here is a MS65 1926-P that has a decent strike

The 1926-S (this is a MS64) can be found with good strike as well - something that can't be said of the other S mints from the 1920's

Jim

Does every Peace dollar look like it was struck from eroded dies?

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