Alongside the Morgan silver dollar collection, Peace silvers are consistently enticing to passionate numismatists. The US Mint produced these coins from 1921 to 1928 and then 1934 to 1935. Unfortunately, most Peace silver dollars were melted or lost, making the remaining ones even more sought.
The 1926 Peace silver dollar value shows its historical importance and exceeds the price of silver it contains. Plus, one tiny detail separates this coin from the rest of the collection. Let’s see.
1926 Peace Silver Dollars
Three mints produced 1926 Peace silver dollar, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver. In total, they minted 11,267,000 coins that year, with San Francisco Mint taking the major part with 6,980,000 pieces.
Traditionally, Philadelphia mint didn’t mark minted coins, while the other two put S or D mint marks on the reverse side. If there is a mint mark on your dollar, you will find it below the word ONE on the reverse.
1926 Peace Silver Dollar |
|||
| Location | Year | Minted | Value |
| Philadelphia | 1926 | 1,939,000 | $28 |
| San Francisco | 1926 S | 6,980,000 | $28 |
| Denver | 1926 D | 2,348,700 | $28 |
| Total | 1926 | 11,267,700 | / |
This coin is the same size as the rest of the collection. It weighs precisely 0.8594 troy ounces (26.73 g) and contains 90% silver and 10% copper.
That means this silver piece has the usual 0.77344 troy ounces (24 g) silver content. Since the silver price on October 17th, 2021 is $23.3 per ounce, you can quickly calculate that the 1926 Peace silver dollar is worth $18 in silver bullion on the market.
Peace Silver Dollar Design
The Italian-American sculptor Anthony de Francisci, designed the Peace silver dollar after winning the US Commission of Fine Art contest.
He used his wife as a model for the coin obverse side. She represented Lady Liberty with a crown and her hair flowing in the wind. The inscription LIBERTY was positioned above, with mint year bellow. This site also included a motto IN GOD WE TRUST.
1926 Peace silver dollar value by USA Coin book |
|||
| Quality | 1926 | 1926 S | 1926 D |
| Good | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| Very good | $29 | $29 | $29 |
| Fine | $33 | $33 | $33 |
| Very fine | $40 | $40 | $40 |
| Extra fine | $43 | $43 | $43 |
| About uncirculated | $47 | $47 | $47 |
| Mint state 60 | $64 | $71 | $98 |
| Mint state 65 | $623 | $1,203 | $1,113 |
| Proof 63 | / | / | / |
Initially, de Francisci wanted a bald eagle breaking a sword for the backside. The reason for such a coin design was to symbolize the end of WWI and the new-coming peaceful era. However, he eventually created an eagle with an olive branch in its claws.
You can see two mottos above an eagle that is faced to the right:
- The United States of America
- E Pluribus Unum
Plus, the word PEACE stands under ONE DOLLAR denotation.
1926 Peace Silver Dollars Grading
If you have a 1926 Peace silver dollar you want to sell, the least price you can get for it is the current melting value. However, chances are you will earn more, depending on the coin condition.
1926 Peace silver dollar value by JM Bullion |
||
| Coin | Extra fine quality | Uncirculated quality |
| 1926 Peace dollar | $35 | $37 |
| 1926 S Peace dollar | $35 | $38 |
| 1926 D Peace dollar | $35 | $40 |
The mint mark won’t significantly affect this particular dollar value in a few first grading categories. In other words, the 1926 Peace silver dollar in good condition is around $25, regardless of the mint that produced it.
However, things change for uncirculated and well-preserved coins. For instance, an MS 65 graded 1926 S peace dollar is usually more expensive than 1926 and 1926 D coins.
1926 Peace silver dollar value by CoinStudy |
||||
| Coin | Quality | |||
| Good | Fine | Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1926 Peace dollar | $17.45 | $18 | $21 | $29.6 |
| 1926 S Peace dollar | $17.45 | $18 | $24 | $32 |
| 1926 D Peace dollar | $17.45 | $18 | $24 | $47 |
Due to several massive silver melting the US government did through few decades, most of the Peace silver dollars were gone. As a matter of fact, some experts state only around 16% of complete mintage is available today.
Most of these coins were used daily, and you can quickly find a piece in poor and good condition. That leaves the remaining few high-quality coins even more valuable.
1926 Peace silver dollar value by Coinflation |
||||
| Coin | Quality | |||
| Good | Fine | Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1926 Peace dollar | $22 | $23 | $25 | $32 |
| 1926 S Peace dollar | $22 | $23 | $25 | $35 |
| 1926 D Peace dollar | $22 | $23 | $31 | $45 |
Once you decide to sell one, you will get various estimations from different coin dealers. Keep in mind that the first offer you get is only the negotiation start. For instance, a mint-state 1926 Peace dollar sometimes reaches the price of hundreds, even thousands of dollars value.
For instance, one 1926 MS 67 Peace silver dollar reached the record value of $120,000 just this month. Of course, its condition means it is almost in perfect shape with no worn traces.
Good condition
If you have a 1926 Peace dollar in good condition, that means this coin has gone through many hands. The circulation left significant damage on both the front and reverse sides. The female bust is visible, but the letters are almost undetectable or entirely gone.
1926 Peace silver dollar value by Hobbizine |
|||
| Quality | 1926 | 1926 S | 1926 D |
| Good | $14.30 | $14.30 | $14.30 |
| Very good | $17.10 | $17.10 | $17.10 |
| Fine | $22.80 | $22.80 | $22.80 |
| Very fine | $25.75 | $25.75 | $25.75 |
| Extra fine | $30.50 | $30.50 | $33.25 |
| About uncirculated | $36 | $36 | $36 |
| Mint state 60 | $42.75 | $42.75 | $67 |
| Mint state 65 | $475 | $950 | $855 |
| Proof 63 | / | / | / |
It is the worst coin condition any dealer will accept. If the fine details like Liberty’s hair and eagle feather are gone, you can’t expect to get more than $25 for it.
Very fine condition
On average, a very fine 1926 Peace dollar is worth around $30 to $35. The coin’s surface is relatively smooth, but you can distinct the design and feel it under your fingers. Plus, you can see some of Liberty’s hair or the traces of olive branch in the bald eagle talons.
Extra fine condition
The higher condition of your coin is, the better its grading will be. You can see rays of sunshine behind the eagle on an extra fine 1926 Peace silver. All inscriptions are readable, and the bird wings’ feathers are noticeable.
1926 Peace silver dollar value by COIN HelpU |
|||
| Quality | 1926 | 1926 S | 1926 D |
| Very fine | $18 | $20 | $20 |
| Extra fine | $20 | $25 | $25 |
| About uncirculated | $33 | $33 | $35 |
| Mint state 60 | $35 | $45 | $70 |
| Mint state 63 | $75 | $75 | $200 |
| Mint state 65 | $350 | $800 | $600 |
All the details are almost in perfect condition on such a coin obverse side. Spikes on the crown are undamaged, and the hair locks are intact.
MS 60 uncirculated 1926 Peace silver dollar
As a rule of thumb, uncirculated coins are in excellent condition. Many collectors will search for an MS 60 uncirculated 1926 Peace dollar since it has minor or no wear signs. However, you can notice some traces of time, like slight discoloration, stains, or abrasions even though the coin was never in the open exchange market.
MS 65 gem uncirculated 1926 Peace silver dollar
You need to be a professional coin dealer to find a flaw in the gem uncirculated 1926 Peace silver dollar. The design is perfectly clear up to the last detail. Plus, the coin in this condition has a superb luster.
1926 Peace Silver Dollar Uniqueness
As I have mentioned before, the 1926 Peace silver dollar is different than the rest of the collection. If you compare this coin to any other year, you will notice that the word GOD has a higher relief.
There are many theories about this change, but there has been no definite answer to this dilemma. Many historians associate this modification with the Scopes Trial, which took place in 1925.
John Scopes, a teacher from Dayton, was arrested on May 5th, 1925, for teaching evolution in a public school. That was prohibited in Tennessee by the Butler Act, passed the same year. The case became a national sensation, and soon after, the highlighted GOD engraving appeared on the coin in 1926.
Many believe it was a lucky coincidence and an honest mistake that happened once and was corrected the following year. Still, others use the 1926 Peace dollar as an argument in the religion/science debate to date.
This affair makes the 1926 Peace silver dollar fascinating and unique in the entire collection. In 2021, the US Mint issued a commemorative Peace silver dollar. Still, it has no featured GOD inscription, just like all others. This little detail remained only on the 1926 Peace silver dollar.
Summary
Three mints produced Peace silver dollars in 1926, so you can find those without a mint mark or letters S or D under the year. One of these coins reached a record price of fantastic $120,000 at one auction. However, most others are worth approximately $20 to $30 in good to fine condition, depending on a dealer estimating it.
