The Best Rendition of the Peace Dollar to Leave the Mint
Considered to be “the best rendition of the Peace Dollar to leave the Mint”, Lot 3077 in our November Rarities Night Session presents an important opportunity for advanced Peace dollar collectors to acquire a major rarity in the series – a 1922 Matte Proof High Relief example. There are only about a dozen known of the issue, and most are graded Proof-64 or finer. These routinely sell for six figure prices when they cross the auction block; even an impaired example sold for $144,000 in 2023. The coin in our November Showcase Auction is graded Proof-25 by NGC.
It was discovered in a group of circulated Peace dollars in Lathrup Village, Michigan in the late 1970s by Ernest Lush. How it went into circulation and remained there for years without being discovered can only be left to conjecture. Lush’s sharp eyes kept this important rarity from being consigned to the melting pots during the silver boom a few years later, during which countless circulated Peace dollars were destroyed for their silver value. From Ernest Lush, it made its way into a Michigan Collection, before being consigned to RARCOA’s Session of Auction ’83. We have had the honor of offering it twice before, first in our (Bowers and Merena’s) August 1995 Rarities Sale, then again in our (Stack’s) January 2007 Orlando Sale. In its most recent auction appearances, this coin was covered in a layer of dark, distracting toning that obscured the delicate matte finish. After very careful conservation, it was revealed that the original surface texture survived, even with the wear. Somewhat conservatively graded by NGC, the details on this appealing example compare nicely to an EF 1921 High Relief Peace dollar.
This is an important opportunity for advanced Peace dollar collectors, as it may be a long time before another might be available.
For more information about the Stack’s Bowers Galleries November 2024 Showcase Auction visit StacksBowers.com. To consign your coins or paper money to one of our future sales call 800-458-4646 or email [email protected].
