A Date Without Figures: The 1924-S Peace Dollar
Coin Encyclopedia · 9 min read · Published November 7, 2026
One million seven hundred twenty-eight thousand. The 1924-S Peace dollar was struck at San Francisco in the middle of the series' busiest years, and it is a date that collectors meet more often than they study. It circulated hard in the West, like every San Francisco Peace dollar, and most survivors show honest wear — smooth cheek, flat crown rays, muted fields. A sharply struck, lustrous example is a different coin altogether, and learning to tell the two apart is the whole skill this date teaches.
This is the honest part of the page, and it matters. Our November 2026 review holds no researched grade figures for the 1924-S at any of the six grades — G-4, F-12, XF-40, AU-50, MS-60, and MS-65 are all dashes in the table below. That is not a statement that the coin is worthless; it is a statement that this guide has not yet researched figures it can stand behind, and it will not invent them.
What we know, and what we do not
What can be said safely is this: the floor under any genuine 1924-S is its silver — the live metal floor in the specs section — plus a premium for the S mint mark at every grade. Worn examples trade near the floor, and uncirculated examples with a sharp strike trade well above it. For a current figure on a specific coin, the Coin Value Checker and a professional opinion are the right next steps, not a guessed number on a page.
| Grade | Estimated collector value |
|---|---|
| G-4 | — |
| F-12 | — |
| XF-40 | — |
| AU-50 | — |
| MS-60 | — |
| MS-65 | — |
A dash (—) means our November 2026 review holds no researched figure for that grade yet — it is a gap in our data, not a zero. Figures are collector estimates, reviewed November 5, 2026.
San Francisco's Peace dollars: strike is everything
San Francisco struck Peace dollars through most of the series, and its coins are known for solid, workmanlike strikes — better than New Orleans, rarely as sharp as the best Philadelphia examples. The 1924-S is a typical San Francisco Peace dollar in that regard: most examples show a decent strike with some softness in the hair and the eagle's feathers, and the coins that stand out are the ones with genuinely crisp detail. Collectors who learn to separate a weak strike from actual wear do far better with this mint than those who grade by detail alone.
For the collector, the practical consequence is simple: a 1924-S with full lustre and a sharp strike is worth a closer look even before you think about the grade number, because the series is famous for weak strikes and a sharp one is genuinely scarce.
How to grade your 1924-S
Start with the crown rays and Liberty's cheek — those are the Peace dollar's high points, and wear flattens them first. Then check the eagle's breast and wing tips on the reverse. A mint-state Peace dollar shows full, frosty lustre and sharp detail; a circulated one shows smooth, grey high points and muted fields. Because the series is famous for weak strikes, a coin with genuinely sharp hair and a fully feathered eagle is worth a closer look even before you think about the grade number.
Start with the crown rays and Liberty's cheek — those are the Peace dollar's high points, and wear flattens them first. Then check the eagle's breast and wing tips on the reverse. A mint-state Peace dollar shows full, frosty lustre and sharp detail; a circulated one shows smooth, grey high points and muted fields. Dull, lifeless surfaces mean wear or cleaning, and either one holds the grade down.
Specs and the silver floor
Peace dollars share the Morgan's weight and fineness — 26.73 grams, 38.1 millimetres across, 90% silver with 10% copper, 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver in each coin — and that metal puts a floor of $40.27 under every genuine Peace dollar. Anthony de Francisci's design is unmistakable: Liberty wearing a radiate crown, and on the reverse an eagle perched on a rock, the sun's rays behind it, with PEACE below. Find the mint mark under the eagle if you want to know where yours was struck.
Metal floor updates live from our Worker — last updated November 7, 2026.
The silver floor is close to the whole story for a worn 1924-S, and that is the point. At 1,728,000 struck, this date trades near its metal at the bottom and on strike and lustre at the top — and the top is where the learning pays off.
Is your 1924-S genuine?
The first test costs nothing: weigh the coin. A genuine silver dollar weighs 26.73 grams and measures 38.1 millimetres, and fakes are usually light, or the wrong diameter, or both. Silver is not magnetic, so a coin that sticks to a magnet is not silver. Then look at the lettering with a loupe — genuine letters are sharp and even, while cast copies show mushy edges, pitted fields, and soft stars. A scale, a calliper, and a magnet settle most questions in a minute; anything still in doubt goes to a professional grading service.
San Francisco Peace dollars are faked less often than the great Morgan keys, but any coin claimed as mint state deserves the full check — weight, diameter, magnet, and loupe. Under a loupe, genuine striking leaves crisp, even lettering and clean fields; a cast copy betrays itself with soft details, tiny pits, and a slightly greasy surface. When the stakes are high, certification settles it.
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1924-S Peace dollar questions, answered honestly
How much is a 1924-S Peace dollar worth?
Our guide holds no researched grade figures for the 1924-S yet — all six grades are shown as dashes rather than guesses. The live metal floor is in the specs section, and the S mint mark adds a premium at every grade. Use the Coin Value Checker or a professional opinion for a current figure on a specific coin.
What is the mintage of the 1924-S Peace dollar?
San Francisco struck 1,728,000 Peace dollars in 1924. It is a middle-of-the-series mintage — neither a key date nor a common one by the numbers, and its figures depend far more on strike and survival than on mintage.
How do I know my 1924 Peace dollar is from San Francisco?
Turn the coin over and look below the eagle, above the word ONE. A small S there means San Francisco. No mint mark means Philadelphia, and a D means Denver. The S is struck cleanly into the coin, at the same depth as the surrounding design.
Why are so many Peace dollars weakly struck?
Because the design is high-relief in spirit even after the 1922 lowering — Liberty's crown rays and the eagle's feathers are high points that the dies struggled to fill. Many Peace dollars left the mint softly struck, so a fully struck example with crisp rays and a bold eagle stands out at once.
Is the 1924-S Peace dollar rare?
Not by mintage — 1,728,000 were struck, and circulated examples are regularly available. The rarity sits at the top: sharply struck, lustrous, uncirculated examples are genuinely scarce, and the market pays for that survival.
Should I get my 1924-S Peace dollar graded?
For a worn example, usually not — the figure is close to the silver floor. Consider certification when the coin looks uncirculated with full lustre and a sharp strike, because an independent grade is the most useful thing you can have for a date whose figures we have not yet researched.
Check your 1924-S Peace
Run the date and mint mark through the free Coin Value Checker for an instant estimate, or get a Grade-or-Not verdict on whether your coin is worth certifying. The full guide is here: Peace Dollar Values: Silver Prices and Key Dates. The first Peace dollar is the 1921 Peace dollar, the only high-relief year of the series.
Some coins teach patience before they teach value — this is one of them. Learn the mint mark, learn the strike, and the figures will follow. Shared for education only.
