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1922 Sterling Silver "Peace" Dollar Native American Cuff NWS 13-1339
~ The aesthetically pleasing "Peace" Silver Dollar is a beloved symbol of U.S. coin history and has, for many years, been a very popular item with coin collectors. It is the last dollar coin minted for general circulation with a silver content of 90%. Future silver dollars would be minted with a considerably lower silver content. Accordingly, many collectors treasure the Peace Dollar as the last "true" American silver dollar. ~ The Peace Dollar was created to commemorate the end of World War I. This coin was minted from 1921 to 1928 and again in 1934 and 1935 at three United States Mint facilities located in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. The relevant mintmarks can be found on the reverse side of the coin below the O in the word ONE. About 190 million pieces were struck in total during the years the coin was minted. ~ Designed by Anthony De Francisci, the Peace Dollar depicts a profile of Miss Liberty with a crown of rays on the obverse, while the reverse of the coin has the image of a majestic American Eagle perched on a rock and clutching the laurel wreath of Peace in its talons. The design of the coin reflects the Art Deco movement of the time. For example, as is common in many Art Deco creations, the inscription on the coin uses some Latin alphabet. Accordingly the word "Trust" in the coin's legend is spelled as the Latin word TRVST. ~ It is of interest to note that the Peace Dollar was not well-received by the public when it was first introduced. Most of the criticism pertained to the fact that, in the coin's design, Miss Liberty's mouth is slightly open. The Wall Street Journal, for example, called this Liberty a "flapper"- a term used to describe a loose woman of the times.~ In 1935, the U.S. government ceased all production of Peace Dollars. In 1964, Congress authorized 45 million more Peace Dollars and 300,000 were apparently minted but all were destroyed and none survive today. Recently, collectors have shown a renewed interest in the Peace Dollar.
~ Because of the extraordinary beauty of the coin itself, the artist has kept the cuff simple. Two full circles, or full moons (?), have been engraved, one on each side of the cuff. Just below these is a design that looks like a representation of a mountain range. ~ The cuff measures 1.5" wide across the top (that's the diameter of the coin). The width of the band tapers at the back to .75" wide. The gap, or opening, in the back measures slightly over 1" and can be gently widened with caution. The cuff is actually quite thin. It appears to be sterling plated brass, and I was able to find signs of light plating loss on the back and some edges, using a jeweler's loupe.
~ Neither the cuff nor the coin have been polished by me, as I know that is a collector's "no no" and could hurt the value of this piece. It's a lovely bracelet for the Native American collector, one of simplicity, yet of extraordinary beauty, with significant symbolism between the Native American cultures and Americans. c. 1940, in good, vintage condition, with light tarnish (I never polish vintage jewelry and you probably shouldn't either); there is one scratch between the letters T and Y in Liberty. Otherwise, the surface of the coin is in excellent condition. A beautiful cuff! Price = $445.00 B4 |
