The Peace dollar is often considered the most beautiful silver dollar ever minted by the United States. Following World War I, there was widespread sentiment to issue a coin to commemorate the restoration of peace. The federal Commission of Fine Arts held a competition and invited nine medallists to submit designs for a new dollar. The relatively inexperienced winner was Anthony de Francisci—an Italian immigrant who modeled a depiction of Liberty after his wife Teresa. On this stunning coin, Liberty wears a radiant crown like that worn by the Statue of Liberty. The reverse features a resting eagle clutching an olive branch of peace and looking toward the sun’s rays. The word PEACE appears on a rock below the eagle. Production began in 1921 and continued through 1928. No dollars were minted from 1929-1933, as demand was low during the Great Depression. Limited production resumed in 1934 and 1935 for the redemption of paper silver certificates. The Peace dollar turned out to be the last true silver dollar ever minted for circulation in the United States. Sadly, its timely end came not 4 years before World War II and the end of world peace.
