1921 $1 Peace Silver Dollar - NGC MS62

This 1921 $1 Peace Silver Dollar NGC MS62, has been certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation as having a mint state of 62, so it's sure to be a piece you'd be proud to have in your collection. Snap it up today to avoid disappointment.

The idea of minting a coin commemorating peace was the idea of numismatist Farran Zerbe. It was an idea supported by the U.S. Treasury, and in November 1921 a competition was held to design a peace coin with a number of artists asked to submit designs. The entrants included eminent coin designers such as MacNeil and Weinman. However, the competition was won by Anthony de Francisci - the youngest and least experienced artist. But Francisci had come up with a design that more than met the competition criteria for a representation of Liberty that was beautiful and full of character, breathing a distinctive style and fresh new look into this symbolic figure.

Francisci modeled his Liberty portrait on his wife Teresa Cafarelli, whom he showed wearing a diadem much like that worn by the Statue of Liberty. It's a design which must have had poignancy for Teresa, who had first caught a glimpse of the statue when traveling from Naples to New York in steerage as a young child. Liberty's hair is styled in a bun, though tendrils have escaped framing her face and neck. The word LIBERTY curves around the top of the design, though the lettering is partly obscured by the diadem, while the motto IN GOD WE TRUST is positioned on either side of the profile, and the year of issue, 1921 is below.

The reverse design shows an eagle standing on a rocky outcrop, holding an olive branch in its talons and with its head turned slightly towards the viewer. The rays of the sun fan out behind the eagle in a popular element of Art Deco design. The wording UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the Latin phrase E. PLURIBUS UNUM curves around the top of the design, though the eagle's head interrupts the latter. On the rocks, the word PEACE can be seen, while the value of ONE DOLLAR is placed either side of the eagle. The original reverse design included a broken sword as a sign of disarmament, but this image proved unpopular, being seen as a sign of defeat, so at the last minute it was omitted from the design.

The coin was produced on an extremely tight schedule, with the competition organized in November and the first coin minted on 26 December 1921-with over 1 million coins struck by the end of the year. The Peace Dollar was then produced every year until 1928, then again in 1934 and 35, after an intervention by Roosevelt. However, the Second World War led to many silver dollars being melted down in support of the war effort, and millions of Peace Dollars were destroyed. So today, no one is quite sure how many have survived and perhaps that's why this enigmatic coin remains so cherished.

Overview of 1921 $1 Peace Silver Dollar NGC MS62:

• U.S. Mint
• 1921 Peace Dollar
• Mint State of 62
• Designer: Anthony de Francisci
• 90% silver, 10% copper
• Diameter: 38.1mm
• Weight: 26.7g