Silver dollars minted in the United States between 1921 and 1935 bore the legend of Peace on the reverse side and became known as the Peace Dollar. Created following World War I, the War to End All Wars, it was a time when everyone simply wanted a return of peace to their daily lives and hope for the future.

Designed by Anthony de Francisci, his wife, Teresa, was reportedly used as the model for Miss Liberty on the obverse side. On the reverse an eagle standing on a rock is awash in rays of the sun. The motto Peace is on the rock the Eagle stands on.

First produced late in 1921, production of the silver Peace Dollar continued through 1928. Unfortunately demand for silver coins was low and production was halted in 1928 and resumed for only a short time in 1934 and 1935.

The Peace Silver Dollar is very collectible. They are the last big US silver dollars to be minted of 90 percent silver for circulation. It only takes 24 date and mint mark combinations to build a complete set.

Putting together a complete collection of all mint marks is relatively inexpensive even in the upper grades when compared to the earlier Morgan and Trade dollars. It's possible to find many dates, certified by PCGS, NCG or ANACs, at reasonable prices. Those looking only for certified coins can view them in the Certified Peace Dollar section.

If your goal is to complete a set at the highest grade levels the price goes up significantly. At MS66 and above prices skyrocket quickly. According to the current PCGS Price Guide no silver Peace dollars have been graded above MS67.

Another interesting way to collect the Silver Peace Dollar is by VAMs, varieties as defined by Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis in their in-depth research of Morgan and Peace dollars. Their book, The Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars, first published in 1971 and updated in 1988 contains a detailed listing of all the known die varieties of these 2 silver coins. Since the last publishing Mr. Van Allen has continued to contribute to the numismatic community with supplements of attribution guides for coin collectors.

Raw coins can be found for less than $50. Obviously you must be willing to accept lower grades. I have found some very nice coins at coin shops and on eBay that would certainly be graded by the better grading services if submitted.

Rumors abound that several thousand silver Peace Dollars were minted in 1964 but all were allegedly recovered and destroyed by the U.S. mint and the existence of a handful in private hands has never been confirmed. There's a great story there about politics and government skullduggery.

You'll find the circulated mintage of each years coins at Silver Peace Dollar Mintage and on each of the yearly pages.

Interest in the silver Peace Dollar continues to grow with each year that goes by. Partly because of its silver value but I believe it has more to do with the beauty of the coin, its relative scarcity in high mint state condition and its uniqueness as a coin during the time it was being actively produced by the U.S. Mint. While there were shenanigans associated with the production of the Peace Dollar it was nothing like that associated with the political intrigue surrounding the Morgan Dollar when it was first produced in 1878. There have been no Silver Dollars minted like the Peace Dollar since 1935. Preceeded by the what we now consider the great Morgan Dollar, the Peace Dollar was the last of the big Silver Dollars to jingle in our pockets and signify the prosperity and wealth of a nation.

So how do you go about collecting silver Peace Dollars? If you're new to coin collecting take some time to get to know your local coin store owner and coin clubs, develop a few contacts through the many coin forums and auctions on the Internet and you'll be able to find these great coins for very reasonable prices. Read and research. Learning the technical bits of numismatics will enhance your appreciation of the hobby in general and your coins in particular. Last, but not least, have fun and enjoy the search for your collection. In the left hand column you'll find links to the various listings.

The best place to start any journey is at the beginning. In the case of the silver Peace Dollar that would be the 1921 Silver Peace Dollar.