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Regarding Peace Dollar Proofs
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10 posts in this topic

Hey everyone! I wanted your opinions on this 1922 peace dollar that I have.

I believe it to be a "low relief proof", as it seems to have been struck by a medal press with added pressure. The rays and letters are sharply cut with no flatness toward the rims (of which are also pronounced), and there are depressions parallel to the rays as well as tooling marks around them. 
The rays look identical to the low relief proof example found in Roger Burdette's book on Peace Dollars, and I believe his description of how a medal press shapes the coin matches the look of this one.

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The pictures probably don't do it justice, but I can line up other peace dollars next to it from 10 feet away and it's still just as emblematic as when examining/comparing them close up.
There is absolutely no luster, but a foggy shine that lights up gun-metal gray surfaces.

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What's also interesting is the small lumps of raised metal that litter the surface. I believe that these are possibly die chips from whoever reengraved these dies? as the etchings were sloppily done as stated in Burdette's book.
The most prominent bump is on top of the "A" in "DOLLAR", which resembles a comet that flows underneath the adjacent leftmost rays on the reverse.

I've never seen a PD like this, so I would love your opinions.

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Sorry, but it's not a proof. Pay particular attention to the reverse near the talons and olive branch. Compare with the book photos. They must be exact. Also lacking in clarity of detail, esp on reverse of either 22 HR or 22LR medal press proofs. Many 1921 and 1922 coin have been "adjusted" to try and pass as "proofs."

PS:But keep looking closely. Some of the 1922 HR trial run coins (with 1921 rev) ended up in circulation as did some of the 1922 MR trials (with 1922 HR reverse), and have been recovered by sharp-eyed collectors. (The 1922 MR trial and proof pieces have strange looking "9s" in the date.

Edited by RWB
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I thought this was a scar cheek for a second, but it isn’t. 
 

This one appears to have received quite the polish at some point. With no luster and the visible hairlines I think as @RWB was alluding to someone “adjusted” this one in an attempt to improve it. Boy did they fail in that endeavor. 

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On 2/9/2022 at 4:37 AM, RWB said:

Sorry, but it's not a proof. Pay particular attention to the reverse near the talons and olive branch. Compare with the book photos. They must be exact. Also lacking in clarity of detail, esp on reverse of either 22 HR or 22LR medal press proofs. Many 1921 and 1922 coin have been "adjusted" to try and pass as "proofs."

PS:But keep looking closely. Some of the 1922 HR trial run coins (with 1921 rev) ended up in circulation as did some of the 1922 MR trials (with 1922 HR reverse), and have been recovered by sharp-eyed collectors.

You're Roger Burdette!! It's an honor to meet you sir. You're an impeccable writer as well as a library of information, and your book continues to be a guide for my hunting journey!

I have a question: is the MR trial strikes you refer to here the same as the 1922 trial strikes minted in February and March that you go into detail about in your book? The ones with the first hub design?

Edited by GraftedInTheVine
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I actually have quite a few of those and recorded them in my own journey of hunting this series because of their "detached stem" and sharper details overall. 
I didn't know anything about them, nor could I really find anything until I picked up your book! 
I was very happy to see that my instincts were correct.

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