According to Britannica.com, the peace sign was designed by a British artist. 

The modern peace sign was designed by Gerald Holtom for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958. The vertical line in the center represents the flag semaphore[*] signal for the letter D, and the downward lines on either side represent the semaphore signal for the letter N. “N” and “D”, for nuclear disarmament, enclosed in a circle. Holtom also described the symbol as representing despair, with the central lines forming a human with its hands questioning at its sides against the backdrop of a white Earth. ¹

I have recently noticed that the peace sign aligns with the 369 points that Nikola Tesla is purported to have stated, holds the key to the universe. It is entirely possible that Holtom was aware of Tesla’s beliefs. I imagine it would not have been fitting to cite a futuristic engineer as inspiration for a symbol representing nuclear disarmament if Tesla was truly the source.

1. Petruzzello, Melissa. “Where Did the Peace Sign Come From?”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Jun. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/story/where-did-the-peace-sign-come-from. Accessed 20 May 2024.

* “method of visual signaling, usually by means of flags or lights.” Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “semaphore”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Apr. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/semaphore. Accessed 20 May 2024.