1921 Peace Dollar - Can This Really Be What NGC Says It Is?

I would think MS-62.

The weakness in the hair comes from the high-relief style of these coins. As the incuse designs in the dies (raised areas of the devices) were so deep, the mint had trouble with getting the metal to flow all of the way into the dies under normal striking pressure. This lack of metal flow into the intricate low parts of the die (high parts of the design) caused the lack of detail you see here. They could have used greater pressure, but at the risk of damaging the dies and giving them a shorter life span.

The high relief gives it such character though. I can just imagine what a high relief Morgan would look like. If they can even put that level of detail in a high relief format.

1921 Peace dollars due to high relief striking usually show weakness in the hair near the eye and sometimes a weak strike on the Eagles breast feathers on the reverse.....it is very rare to have a superbly struck 1921 Peace dollar on both sides, and they sell for crazy high money simply because there are not many. I think you have a nice 21 Peace dollar and I personally wouldn't crack it out I think NGC got it right with a 63 possibly a 64.

Is there a point of resubmitting it to NGC for a regrade? Not cracking it out of course, just submitting for regrade. There is a considerable price difference between 63 and 64.

I believe they only crack it out if they will upgrade it. So there is no risk, only a $30 or so investment for a potential $200+ return. I don't plan on selling it but I gotta think of my future grandchildren!

Dipper,

MS-63 is certainly an appropriate grade. Some coins, particularly 1921 Peace dollars, are very weakly struck. Per PCGS grading guidelines, this tends to limit the maximum grade to about MS-64 even if the coin is otherwise pristine. Important not to confuse strike weakness with wear. If a coin is booming with luster but looks really flat ("plateau") in the hair and feathers that is almost always strike weakness.