1964 D Peace Dollars -- do you think any exist?

[Peace_Fan]

There's been debate for years over the existence of these. They were all (300,000 or so) supposed to have been destroyed by the Denver mint, but rumors have persisted of a handful sneaking out. What do you think? Are there some around? Would you buy one given that you had the resources, in spite of the fact that it's illegal to possess one? What do you think the price would be?

[Bob Flaminio]

I think some do exist. I wouldn't buy one, but mostly for lack of resources and interest rather than because I'd be committing some crime. I would guess a selling price would be well into seven figures, but probably not as high as the 33 Saint.

[gmarguli]

There are some people who believe they were never actually minted, but rather just entries were made in the mint records. If they were actually minted, then there are probably some out there. However, how do you authenticate something that you have no frame of reference for?

[keithdagen]

I've seen several big names in numismatics suggest that, yes, these coins do exist. However, they will never become legal to own, so you'll never get to see one slabbed anywhere.

[PQSeated]

Some major numismatists have also seen them before.....

[K6AZ]

The 1964-D Peace Dollars were struck, they were not just an entry in a ledger. And I would be willing to bet you there are several out there, but as long as they remain "unissued" I doubt any will ever surface.

[Russ-migration]

The way I understand coin destruction at the mint, they don't actually count the coins, but rather it's done by weight. It occurs to me that a mint employee at the time could easily have replaced some of the coins with an equal number of planchets or other dollars, and snuck some out.

 

If I recall correctly, there is some history of this type of thing in the past, so I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that some are out there somewhere.

 

BTW, I believe the mintage figure was reported to be over 400,000 (I seem to recall the number 424,000, but I could be wrong).

 

In any event, it's a very fun thing about which to speculate.

 

Russ, NCNE

[johnscoin-migration]

Much like the 1933 Saint, I'm sure the Peace exists...

Unlike the saint, no case could be made for private ownership being legal.

I still wish that whoever has the other '33 saints would take it to court. I believe that they'd have a great chance of winning if the judge was honest...

[Truckstopjunkie-migration]

I hope some survived. . . . . I want one or two.

[MacCoin-migration]

its a wives tail, a myth but if there are any out there who ever has them sure ain't going to say anything. if they did the secret service would be on them like white on rice.

 

[Twowood]

MacCoin...."It's a wives tail"....that's cute! I s that anything like "an old wife's tale"?Twowood

[BankNote1]

The 1964 Dollar might be an "Urban Legand"...

[PQSeated]

Some people call it an urban legend, and some people call it a fact. I'm not going to discuss my opinion about the existence of the coin..........

[lclugza]

I believe 316, 076 were minted.

[dakra]

I looked in my Dansco Album and there is no spot in the book for a 1964D but if I came across a 1964D, I would dedicate one whole page to the coin I think I would be happy just to look at the coin. If one or more existed, it is just a pipe dream that I would one day be the owner of one.

 

-Dave

[PQSeated]

Unfortunately, these won't show up until they will legalize the ownership of them. In all likeliness, the ownership of them will never be legal.

[Wihlborg]

Well if you go by how long it took for the 1933 double eagle to become legal, we will have to wait about another 31 years if there are any!

[PQSeated]

The Farouk specimen had a valid argument to legalize the ownership of it, whereas the '64 D Peace Dollars almost certainly wouldn't.

[Wihlborg]

Very true, but I was making a joke. I guess a bad one!

[Peace_Fan]

It would still be a thrill just to see one, especially for a Peace $ addict like me....

[michael]

i think they are out there and one day maybe they may become legal stranger things have happened

 

i guess only time will tell

 

the 1964 peace dollars i have heard have been privately shown at the big ana shows in 1965/66

 

sincerely michael

[hrlaser]

Ye Holy Red Book says 316,076 were minted, in 1965, and all were destroyed.

 

My W.A.G. is that certain members of congress, and probably LBJ, cabinet members, whoever was the Director Of The Mint at that time.. people way up there in the gubmint, were given sample coins to check out with the usual "ya hafta give it back" caveat. I've got no way to prove anything but I sure would've liked to have gotten the chance to go through Strom Thurmond's desk before he vacated his Senate office.. or see what's in LBJ's former desk down at his ranch in Texas..

 

I find it very hard to believe that a figure of exactly 316,076 was determined, and that every single one of them was accounted for and destroyed..but hey, call me a skeptic..

 

Harv

[Wihlborg]

This is what happened in 1974 when the mint struck 1,579,324 pattern cents in aluminum. All but 9 were melted. One is in the Smithsonian's collection. No one knows what happened to the other 8, but it is rumored that some pieces were given to members of congress for evaluation and never returned.

 

John

 

[mark]

John:

 

One of the aluminum cents was pictured in Numismatic News a couple of years ago. I am surprised that the Secret Service allowed the coin to surface and then resubmerge without chasing after it.

 

Mark

[Wihlborg]

Hi Mark,

I was unaware of this fact.

 

I subscribe to Coin World and don't read Numismatic News. I am as surprised as you about this. Maybe the Secret Service doesn’t read Numismatic News either!

 

But it is interesting.

 

John

 

[nwcs]

Could also easily have been a manipulated photo. I'm sure something like that wouldn't escape the SS. However, if I remember correctly, the original recipients are legally allowed to keep the 1974 cents, but not to sell them or give them away because they aren't monetized. If I am correct, it wouldn't be a problem.

[Coinosaurus]

I saw a TV show where they were clearing out Thurmond's office and they had tons and tons of boxes. Apparently it was a several month effort & I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were a few coins in there. I think it was all going to some University down south, maybe the Citadel or something similar.

[Wihlborg]

Hi nwcs,

I may be wrong also, but I was always under the impression that if a coin has not been monetized, it's not legal to own. Wasn't part of the government’s argument about the 1933 double eagle that they were struck but never monetized before leaving the mint and thus subject to recall

 

John

 

[nwcs]

Well, the aluminum cents are patterns so they may not fall directly under the same regulations. I know that the SS does, from time to time, confiscate things that have been on the open market for years. In fact, once they tried to retake the ANA's counterfeit coin set (which is authorized by Congress for them to have) and the agent got into a bit of trouble for doing that. But I seem to recall there have been compromises from the govt regarding certain patterns and I think the 74 cents out there are part of that compromise.

[Wihlborg]

As soon as I hit enter on my post I thought about the fact that they may be considered patterns and just know you would reply as such! .

 

I don’t know, maybe they are patterns and legal to own. But I do remember reading that they were supposed to be returned and were not.

 

John