1926 Peace Dollar
All three mint facilities struck the 1926 Peace Dollar. Production fell at the Philadelphia Mint, increased at San Francisco, and resumed at Denver following a two year hiatus. All of this year’s issues are more or less available, even in gem condition.
After years of producing weakly struck coins, the 1926-S Peace Dollars saw a general improvement. More than 1,000 examples have been graded MS65 or higher by PCGS and NGC, which is many multiples of the number of 1924-S and 1925-S coins to attain this grade level.
At the remaining two mint facilities, gem examples can be found in even higher numbers, providing plenty of examples to choose from for collectors focused on selecting pieces which are solid for the grade with strong eye appeal. The 1926-D is slightly scarcer than the Philadelphia issue in higher mint state grades.
An unusual feature of all 1926 Peace Dollars is the bold impression of the word “God” within the inscription “In God We Trust”. It is known that a new chief engraver at the Mint had decided to re-engrave the motto, starting with a single word in 1926 and the remaining words in the following year. There is some speculation about whether the temporary prominence of “God” was intentional, possibly in reaction to the legal case involving teaching evolution in schools, which was ongoing at the time.
1926 Peace Dollar Mintage and Specifications
Mintages: 1,939,000 (Philadelphia), 2,348,000 (Denver), 6,980,000 (San Francisco)
Designer: Anthony de Francisci
Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
Weight: 26.73 grams
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Edge: reeded
