United States Mint officials are giving serious consideration to make the 2021 Morgan and 2021 Peace silver dollars the first coins of an ongoing annual series.

Mint Director David J. Ryder raised that possibility during a May 4 Microsoft Teams video conference with numismatic journalists.

The enabling legislation, the 1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act, Public Law 116-286, grants the Mint authority to issue additional Morgan and Peace dollars dated 2022 and beyond as an ongoing series.

Ryder said, during the online meeting with numismatic journalists, that he favors the continuation of the series beyond just 2021. Finalization of such a decision will be determined, Ryder said, based on demand for the 2021 releases.

The U.S. Mint’s director of sales and marketing was quick to emphasize that the five 2021 Morgan silver dollars and lone 2021 Peace dollar are not commemorative coins, although their authorization was legislated by Congress. The legislation originally was pursued as a commemorative initiative, said the Mint’s legislative affairs, liaison, Jennifer Warren; however, that legislation never became law, so new authorization was required.

As for the coins’ official status, “The Mint considers them the 2021 Morgan and Peace Silver Dollar Coins,” said Mint spokesman Michael White via email May 5.

The U.S. Mint plans to accept pre-orders for the six coins on three separate release dates, so as to not overload the Mint’s website, since the releases are anticipated to sell quickly, Holben said.

Some previous limited-edition offerings from the Mint resulted in the website being attacked by bots deployed by prospective customers attempting to use the bots to circumvent Mint restrictions and place multiple orders, Holben noted.

The Morgan dollars will be limited to production of 175,000 coins each, with household order limits set at 10 coins per option during the first 24 hours and then lifted.

The Peace dollar mintage will be limited to 200,000 coins, with a household order limit of 10 coins in place during the first 24 hours.

The 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars, struck to recognize the 100th anniversary of the transition from the Morgan to Peace dollar series, will be offered at $85 per coin. All of the versions are being struck with an Uncirculated finish in .999 fine silver.

Each coin will measure 38.1 millimeters in diameter and contain 0.858 troy ounce of silver.

When mintage limits and other details were released by the U.S. Mint in April, household order limits were stated at 25 coins per option. The ceiling for each option was dropped to 10 coins after the U.S. Mint received backlash from collectors, Ryder said.

Holben said that 10% of each ordering option will be reserved for acquisition by the approved dealers in the Authorized Bulk Purchase Program.

The ABPP participants are required to pay a 5% premium above the Mint’s $85 retail price plus pay the shipping costs.

The ABPP dealers are able to pick up the products at the Mint’s contracted fulfillment center, PSFWeb in Memphis, Tennessee.

None of the 2021 silver dollars will be shipped to customers until Oct. 4.

Holben said customers’ credit cards are not charged until an order is officially shipped. He recommended those planning to place orders for the limited edition silver dollars make sure the credit card being used for payment is active and not expired or due to expire before coins are to be shipped.

Such an oversight will result in an order being canceled, Holben said.

On May 24, the Mint will accept pre-orders online for the 2021 Morgan dollars with CC privy mark representing the Carson City Mint from Nevada and 2021 Morgan dollars with an O privy mark representing the New Orleans Mint. The privy marks comprise raised ovals with the original CC or O Mint mark incused in them.

The two coins are being struck at the Philadelphia Mint since the Carson City Mint and New Orleans Mint are no longer in service as U.S. Mint facilities.

Design of the privy marks was a collaborative effort by the U.S. Mint’s engraving staff, according to Chief Engraver Joseph F. Menna.

The pre-order period will run through 3 p.m. Eastern Time June 7 or until the mintages are exhausted.

On June 1, at noon ET, pre-orders will be accepted for the 2021-D and 2021-S coins, struck respectively at the Denver and San Francisco Mints.

The pre-order period runs through 3 p.m. June 14 or until the mintages are depleted.

On June 7, pre-orders will be taken at noon ET for the 2021 Morgan and 2021 Peace silver dollars, both struck at the Philadelphia Mint without a Mint mark as were the 1921 issues.

That per-order period runs through 3 p.m. June 21 or until mintages are depleted.

Other Mint insights

Ryder said the U.S. Mint was challenged with the 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars to secure sufficient planchets and coordinate output from three separate production facilities in three different states.

Menna said the digital sculpting of the 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars, using original tooling from the earlier silver dollar issues, resulted in the best possible product for the newest issues.

The 2021 coins are not considered high relief, Menna said. The portrait relief was adjusted so it does not extend above the rim of each coin, he said.

The original heritage assets, beyond tooling, included plaster models and metal galvanoes rendered via the now retired Janvier reduction lathe.

“We used original models that were formatted different,” Menna said. “The digital technology allows for greater fidelity. I wouldn’t call them reproductions. They manifest the same intent of the sculptor’s original design.”

It was suggested that, if the Morgan and Peace dollar productions extends beyond 2021, additional tooling and models from earlier issues could be accessed, to execute slightly different design variants.

The Mint will also consider the possibility of packaging the coins in multiple coin sets if the series are extended, Ryder said.

Because of the quick turnaround time of the authorizing legislation, passed Dec. 30, 2020, and signed into law Jan. 5, 2021, and the need to secure both packaging and planchets for production, the Mint met obstacles, Ryder said.

The Mint was able to secure 1,075,000 total planchets, for production spread among six different coins at three Mints, Ryder said.

The possibility of different finishes for additional versions beyond 2021, if that option were to be pursued, was discussed.

Ryder was at the West Point Mint the weekend of April 9 to witness the production of the last 2021 American Eagle, Reverse of 1986 silver bullion coin and the start of production of the 2021 American Eagle, Reverse of 2021 silver bullion coin. The Reverse of 2021 silver American Eagle bullion coin is to be introduced sometime in June.

Ryder said that, while the first two of five 2022 Women’s Quarters coin subjects have been decided upon — astronaut Dr. Sally Ride and author Maya Angelou — the other three for consideration are in the hands of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Ryder also announced that the American Liberty gold $100 coin to be released Aug. 19 will illustrate a bucking mustang horse on the obverse. Although he did not specify which proposed obverse design was approved, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee recommended such a design at its Oct. 15, 2019, meeting.

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