How to Identify the 1934 Peace Dollar

What It Is

The Peace dollar was minted from 1921 through 1935 (with a gap from 1929–1933) to commemorate the peace following World War I. The 1934 date was struck at three mints — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — with the San Francisco issue produced in noticeably smaller numbers than the other two.

Obverse Design

The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Liberty wearing a crown of rays, designed by sculptor Anthony de Francisci with a softer, more modern look than earlier Liberty designs. "LIBERTY" arches above her head, "IN GOD WE TRUST" sits to the left near her neck, and the date appears at the bottom.

Reverse Design & Inscriptions

The reverse shows a bald eagle at rest on a mountain peak, holding an olive branch, gazing toward a rising sun with rays spreading behind it. "PEACE" appears below the eagle, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arches above, "E PLURIBUS UNUM" is lettered in smaller type across the middle, and "ONE DOLLAR" sits near the bottom rim.

Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge

The coin weighs 26.73 grams, is struck in .900 fine silver, measures 38.1 mm in diameter, and has a reeded edge — the same specifications used for the Morgan dollar before it.

Mint Marks and Where to Find Them

Look on the reverse near the bottom, just above "ONE DOLLAR" and below the mountain peak, close to the eagle's tail feathers. A "D" indicates Denver, an "S" indicates San Francisco, and no mint mark means the coin was struck in Philadelphia.

Telling It Apart From Similar Coins

The Peace dollar is easy to distinguish from the Morgan dollar that preceded it: Liberty's portrait has a more youthful, streamlined Art Deco look with a crown of rays rather than a wheat-and-cotton cap, and the reverse shows a resting eagle against a rising sun rather than an eagle with wings spread inside a wreath.

Judging Condition at a Glance

Check the hair above Liberty's ear and her cheek for the first signs of flattening, and examine the eagle's leg and wing on the reverse, along with the peak beneath its feet — these high points wear down before the surrounding fields.

Authenticity Red Flags

Watch for added or re-engraved mint marks near the base of the reverse, especially attempts to turn a common Philadelphia or Denver coin into the lower-mintage San Francisco issue. A genuine mint mark should match the size, font, and placement seen on verified coins from that mint and year, without file marks, doubling, or an unnatural surface texture around the letter.