Understanding the 1921 and 1922 peace dollar?

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If I'm not mistaken, only a handful exist. NGC only ever graded one!

This one below is not graded by NGC.

And, the medium reliefs are described as being a modified high relief.

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Thickness at the edge is usually a function of striking pressure. The higher the pressure the better the strike and the more the rims fill on the coin resulting in a greater thickness. For the high relief 21 peace dollars they had to use a higher pressure to try and fill that relief. That resulted in thicker edges but much shorter die life. But the thick edge is not what makes the coin a high relief.

 

I have problems telling the high relief 22 from the medium relief. They both use the same hub design. I believe the only real difference is the penetration of the point of the bust into the 9 is slightly different. If you had them in hand you might be able to see the difference in relief, but I can't see it in photographs.

They are both clearly different from the low relief 22.

 

The tiara spike next to E is shorter on the medium relief than the high relief.

There are probably more little details like that.

 

Not that I can see. It is long on the low relief and short on both the medium and high relief. I don't see any length difference between the medium and high relief.