This is the 2nd of a series of basic coin facts concerning a particular series of U.S. Coins. Riding on the coattails of last week’s Morgan Dollar facts, this week’s topic is Peace Dollars. This small listing of interesting facts is just a taste of the allure of this fascinating series. Please log-in and post your own comments and facts about this desirable series of coins.

1.  The Peace Dollar series ran from 1921 through 1935, beginning in the post World War I boom and ending in the midst of the Great Depression.

2. The set has only 24 circulation pieces, making it one of the most collectible series in all U.S. coin issues.

3. It was designed by Anthony de Francisci and his initials are located in the field under Liberty’s neck.

4.  All of the coins but one, the key 1934-S, are available for under $1000 in MS63 grades, with many falling under $200. The 1934-S and 1928 will cost you the most in MS63 with the 1928 selling in the $800 range and the 1934-S in the $3500 range.

5. The three lowest mintage dates in the regular circulation set are the 1928 (360,649 coins), the 1927-P (848,000 coins) and the 1927-S (866,000 coins).

6. For the variety collectors, the 1922 High Relief is one of the more popular, with a mintage of 35,401 coins.

7. Mintmark location is in the field directly below the Eagle’s tail. The lack of the mint-mark, of course, means the minting facility was the Philadelphia Mint.

8. Due to the Depression, no Peace dollars were issued between 1929 and 1933.

9. San Francisco Mint issued were produced from 1922 through 1935, but there were no 1921-S Peace dollars, only Morgan dollars.

10. The 1935-P and 1935-S dollars would be the last one-dollar coins minted by the United States until the introduction of the Eisenhower Dollar in 1971.

(Sources: The 2008 Redbook of U.S. Coins by Yoeman and Silver Dollars: A Complete Encyclopedia by Bowers.)