1921 Silver Peace Dollar

What Would the Peace Dollar Look Like If Adolph A. Weinman Designed It?

Smithsonian® Authorized Recreation by Sculptor/Engraver Jody Clark

Despite only being minted from 1921-1928 and again in 1934-1935, the U.S. Peace Dollar remains one of the most iconic U.S. coin designs. Its design commemorated the Allies’ victory in World War I and offered hope for lasting peace. But did you know that this iconic, recognizable design…was not the only design submitted for use on the new dollar?

In November of 1921, eight of the nation’s leading sculptors were invited to submit designs for the new silver dollar—which would officially replace George T. Morgan’s Morgan Silver Dollar design. A 33-year-old Italian American sculptor by the name of Anthony de Francisci, won the competition and the $1,500 first-place prize. He defeated such experienced coin designs as Victor D. Brenner (designer of the Lincoln Cent), Herman A. MacNeil (designer of the Standing Liberty Quarter) and de Francisci’s mentor, Adolph A. Weinman (designer of the Mercury Dime and the Walking Liberty Half Dollar).

Most of these competing designs were lost to time, but photos of Weinman’s Peace Dollar sketches have come to light, providing a glimpse of what the master sculptor envisioned for the Peace Dollar.

Officially Authorized and Licensed by the Smithsonian

With the support of the Smithsonian, this Private Issue commemorative features Weinman’s rough sketches for his version of the Peace Dollar, recreated by Jody Clark, master engraver and artist, and the man renowned for creating the last definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Who Was Adolph A. Weinman?

Adolph Alexander Weinman was an accomplished American sculptor and medalist who lived from 1870 to 1952. As mentioned, he was responsible for designing several notable coins including the Walking Liberty Half Dollar and the Mercury Dime, which became one of the most beloved and iconic coins in American history. He also designed several commemorative medals, including one awarded to soldiers who served in the Spanish-American War.

Weinman’s work is characterized by a sense of naturalism and grace that was unusual for his time. He was known for his ability to capture the human form in motion and for his attention to detail and texture. His work was heavily influenced by the classical art of ancient Greece and Rome, and he often used mythological figures and symbols in his designs. Despite his success as an artist, Weinman remained humble and dedicated to his craft throughout his life. He continued to produce beautiful and meaningful works of art well into his old age, and he remained a beloved figure in the art world until his death.

What Makes Jody Clark the Ideal Person to Recreate Weinman’s Designs?

Jody Clark is a British coin engraver and sculptor, best known for his design of the fifth and final definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which has been used on U.K. coins since 2015. As a Royal Mint designer, he developed several coins including the 2017 Britannia bullion coin, the 2018 RAF Centenary coin, and the Queen’s Beasts series, plus he has also designed coins for several other countries, including New Zealand, Gibraltar, and the Isle of Man. Currently Head of Design at the Commonwealth Mint, Clark is also a member of the prestigious Society of Portrait Sculptors, which is dedicated to the promotion of portrait sculpture and the preservation of traditional sculptural techniques, and has won several awards for his work.

Weinman’s Peace Dollar Design

Adolph Weinman and Jody Clark’s obverse design for the 1921 Peace Dollar shows a left-facing bust of Liberty wearing the “liberty cap” with a sprig of olive leaves in her hair. The overall visuals are immediately identifiable as Weinman’s work due to the similarities to his “Mercury” dime design, while Clark’s hand is apparent in the level of detail in the sculpt.

The reverse design shows an image of Lady Liberty holding a hand plow at her side, in reference to the “swords into plowshares” adage, a concept in which military weapons and technologies are converted for peaceful, civilian applications. Behind her, a bald eagle, representing the U.S., stands strong with its wings protectively around her. The similarities to Weinman’s Walking Liberty Half Dollar reverse can be clearly seen with the dramatic eagle, while Clark again takes the level of detail in the sculpt to new heights, with individual hairs and feathers visible, along with even the wood grain of the hand plow. The Smithsonian Sun Logo can be seen near the bottom of the design.

Spectacular Dual Ultra-High Relief Design

You may recall that the 1921 Peace Dollar was intended to be a high relief coin. In fact, the relief was so high that it caused problems on the coining presses, and bankers complained the coins would not stack properly. George T. Morgan was called upon to modify the design to standard relief before the 1922 coins were minted—making those minted in 1921 the only high relief Peace Dollars.

That is NOT the case with these private issue commemoratives, which have been struck using dies sculpted to take advantage of the mint’s ability to strike Ultra-High Relief (UHR) on both sides of a coin, resulting in beautiful, American artwork, struck entirely in UHR like the coins of ancient Greece—a design the numismatic giants of the early 20th century such as Teddy Roosevelt would have loved.

Struck in 99.99% Gold and 99.9% Fine Silver

You can secure these Smithsonian 1921 Weinman Peace Dollar Ultra-High Relief Proofs struck in one ounce of high-purity 99.99% Gold, or in five ounces or two ounces of 99.9% fine Silver. You can also select a 3-Pc. Set that includes each proof.

Exquisite Proof Finish

Each piece features a beautiful proof finish, something that is very difficult to achieve due to the monumental challenge posed by striking UHR designs, and particularly dual UHR designs, with the tremendous pressure required to produce the flat, perfectly polished fields of proofs—making these gorgeous proofs all the more remarkable!

Certified Absolutely Flawless and First Day of Issue

For a release of this magnitude, only the best will do! You can secure each of these private issue commemoratives certified by NGC as perfect Proof-70 (PF70) condition—flawless even under magnification. In addition, your proofs will arrive certified by NGC as First Day of Issue (FDI), meaning they were struck on or before their official day of releases.

Exclusive NGC Labels Hand-Signed by Jody Clark

Each coin will be encapsulated by NGC with our exclusive Adolph Weinman Peace Dollar-themed labels, featuring the hand-signed signature of sculptor/engraver Jody Clark.

Extremely Low Mintages

Considering that there is nothing quick and easy about striking coins with the detailed UHR designs you have here, it’s not surprising that worldwide mintages are low. Just 299 one-ounce gold Smithsonian 1921 Weinman Peace Dollar UHR Proofs were authorized, along with just 999 five-ounce silver and only 1921 two-ounce silver proofs.

It will only take one look at these spectacular coins for you to know why they’ll hold a treasured spot in your collection.

Smithsonian One-Ounce Gold 1921 Weinman Peace Dollar UHR Proof PF70 FDI Clark

One Ounce of 99.99% Pure Gold
Adolph Weinman Peace Dollar Design Recreated by Jody Clark
Reverse Proof Finish
NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70
First Day of Issue Designation by NGC
Exclusive Label Hand-Signed by Jody Clark
Wooden Presentation Case
Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 299
Limited Availability

Smithsonian Five-Ounce Silver 1921 Weinman Peace Dollar UHR Proof PF70 FDI Clark

Five Ounces of 99.9% Fine Silver
Adolph Weinman Peace Dollar Design Recreated by Jody Clark
Reverse Proof Finish
NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70
First Day of Issue Designation by NGC
Exclusive Label Hand-Signed by Jody Clark
Wooden Presentation Case
Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 999
Limited Availability

Smithsonian Two-Ounce Silver 1921 Weinman Peace Dollar UHR Proof PF70 FDI Clark

Two Ounces of 99.9% Fine Silver
Adolph Weinman Peace Dollar Design Recreated by Jody Clark
Reverse Proof Finish
NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70
First Day of Issue Designation by NGC
Exclusive Label Hand-Signed by Jody Clark
Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 1921
Limited Availability