The 2021 Silver Dollar Coinage Act

2021 marks the 100th Anniversary of the introduction of the 1921 Peace Dollar. In January of this year, H.R.6192, a.k.a. the 1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act, was signed into law by former President Trump. This exciting law allows for the striking of a legal tender Silver Peace Dollar.

The Mint struck .999 fine 2021 Peace Dollars with a product limit of 200,000 pieces, whose obverse and reverse will bear renditions of the historical Peace Dollar design.

2021 Peace Dollar Designs

The iconic original Peace Dollar design was chosen from a nationwide competition that artist Anthony De Francisci won. The obverse features the artist’s wife Teresa as Liberty wearing a radiant tiara.

The reverse features an eagle standing on a rocky outcrop, backlit by the sun, while holding an olive branch. The inscription “Peace” appears on the reverse.

The 2021 Peace Dollar will include the date “2021” on the obverse and will be struck on .999 fine silver planchets. Original Peace Dollars were struck using .900 fine silver.

Peace Silver Dollars: An Overview

The Silver Peace Dollar is a numismatic classic. Struck from 1921 through 1928 and again from 1934 through 1935, each coin contains .7734 oz. of silver struck on a 90% pure or “coin silver” planchet.

Two separate things caused the Peace Dollar to come into being: The Pittman Act and a popular citizen movement--and subsequent design contest--to come up with a “Peace Coin” to mark the end of the First World War. Following the end of the “great world” many citizens were excited to celebrate and promote the global desire of peace following years of turmoil.

The Pittman Act was legislation that required the U.S. Government to buy large amounts of silver from mining interests in the Western states. The resulting silver was largely struck into Morgan Silver Dollars. Vast numbers of Morgan Silver Dollars sat unused in U.S. Treasury vaults. After WWI, these Morgans were melted, and the silver was forwarded to England. The United States Mint then struck newly purchased silver into Peace Dollars which were used to replenish the U.S. Treasury vaults.