United States Coinage History

We've put together some basic information on our country's coinage history below. First up is historical information on copper and nickel pieces. Next, it's on to silver coins. And finally, we make our way to the gold, also known as "The Caviar of U.S. Coins."

U.S. Minor Coinage

United States Coppers were the first produced by the Federal Mint when it officially opened for business in 1793. At the time, half-cents and cents were needed desperately for everyday commerce. The half-cent continued to be struck until its last appearance in 1857. Basic Half-Cent Types include the Liberty Cap Left (1793 only), Liberty Cap Right, Draped Bust, Classic Head and Braided Hair issues. The cent during this period (1793-1857) went through several major design changes as well. Large Cents, as this group has become collectively known, are a member of one of six major types. These include the Chain (1793 only), Wreath (1793 only), Liberty Cap, Draped Bust, Classic Head and Braided Hair issues.

The year 1857 brought about the end of the Large Cent era with the introduction of the new Flying Eagle cent. This new cent was struck in copper/nickel composition (88% copper and 12% nickel) in about the same size as the Lincoln cent we use today. The public at the time, referred to these new cents as "nickels" because of this new addition to the metal composition. Today of course, we use that term to describe our 5-cent pieces.

Nickel is an extremely hard metal and most nickel coinage actually contains more copper that nickel. If this were not true, the coin planchets (round discs of metal prior to striking) would be so hard that the dies would fall apart under the pressure of trying to "bring up" the coin design during impact.

Many of history's most disciplined numismatists have focused their studies of numismatics primarily to the early U.S. copper coinage. Dr. William Sheldon famous Large Cent researcher and collector, authored the book Penny Whimsy in 1958. In addition to his painstaking research on the cents of 1793 through 1814 (known as the early dates), he also gave the collecting community the first widely accepted grading scale. His scale was based on numeric figures from 1-70 to describe the condition of a coin. A score of 70 was a perfect coin while a grading score of 1 was a barely identifiable piece.

Early American Coppers "EAC" is an organization you should look into if you have a serious interest in early coppers. The Colonial Coin Collector's Club "C4" is another organization to check into. Many collectors of EAC are also members of C4. This is because of the similar nature and charm of pre-federal coppers and the half cents and cents manufactured at the first U.S. Mint.

U.S. Silver Coinage

United States Silver Coinage consisted of the bulk of issues made by The United States Mint. Five of the most famous of these issues are included in the current exhibit.

Many of the most popular coins in the collecting community are struck in silver. With the attitude that gold coins are too expensive while copper/nickel coins just don't have the visual appeal, many collectors migrate towards the Morgan Dollar or Bust Half-Dollar series to provide them with the right combination of price and enjoyment. This author believes that the Morgan Dollar is easily the most collected coin of all time. Enough specimens exist to allow millions of collectors the opportunity to own "near complete" collections of this series. When the Wall Street gang became involved in rare coins, this was definitely one of their babies.

Silver coins have been struck in many denominations throughout U.S. history. The 1792 half-disme or half-dime is rumored to have been made from George Washington's own silverware. This was the year before the U.S. Mint actually opened for business. The first president was very eager to have local coinage, so that we would have less dependency on Mother England in such a vital area. It may seem strange to us today that we had a denomination of 5-cents that wasn't referred to as a nickel, but in all actuality we didn't have a 5-cent nickel until 1866 with the introduction of the shield nickel. The silver half-dime was struck by the U.S. Mint from 1794 through 1873 undergoing several design changes.

Other denominations that have been struck in silver include the 3-cent piece or "trime" as it was known, the dime, the 20-cent piece, known simply as the 20-cent piece, not the double-dime, the quarter dollar, half dollar and one dollar coins.

Why in the world did we have a 3-cent silver? Postage stamps cost 3-cents for many years. This made having a 3-cent coin quite convenient. It was so convenient, in fact, that the U.S. Mint produced 3-cent nickels as well. The silver 3-cent piece was struck from 1851 through 1873 while the nickel version of this denomination was produced from 1865 through 1889. If you've ever held a silver trime, you've probably asked yourself just how convenient this itsy-bitsy-teeney-weeney piece of silver could have really been to carry around. Guaranteed, I would have lost most of mine before I could have spent them. But then, I'd lose my head if wasn't attached.

The 20-cent piece was second only to the flying-eagle cent as far as short-lived coins are concerned. The coin was struck for four years total, the last two in proof format only for collectors. Carson city specimens are very rare having only been struck in 1875 and 1876. The 1875-CC is the only real collectible issue with the other being an extreme rarity in any condition. The final production of 20-cent pieces was in 1878.

Didn't you think goofed with the Susan B. Anthony Dollar because it so closely resembled the Washington Quarter? Well, at least the design was completely different. The 20-cent piece had the exact same design as the quarter of the period with the only difference being the ever so slight difference in size and weight and the denomination on the coin, of course. No wonder it had such a short "life cycle."

U.S. Gold Coinage

United States Gold Coinage is perhaps the most desired group of rare coins in the entire world. Here you will find the rarest of the rare. Most of these coins have known survivors of less than a dozen specimens. At least one specimen of each of the featured coins is in private hands and can be obtained by a collector with the right amount of perseverance. A hefty wallet is required!

U.S. Gold was first produced by the Mint in 1795 with the release of $5 and $10 denominations, each in the "Bust Right/Small Eagle" design. Gold denominations throughout U.S. history have included the $1, $2.50, $5.00, $10.00 and $20.00 coins. In 1879 and 1880, $4.00 Gold Pieces or Stellas were struck as patterns for a possible new coin. This $4.00 denomination, as well as the $50.00 Gold Half Union, were produced as pattern coinage, but never released with official status. Today we can buy gold coins from the U.S. Mint in $5, $10, $25 and $50 issues, but these are bullion pieces. I have a hard time with calling these them coins. Technically, they do have a denomination, but they aren't obtained at face value. They aren't meant to circulate in the normal channels of commerce but, rather to be traded on and valued with the price of the international gold market. This exhibit is predominately concerned with the Gold dollar through the Double Eagle (1795-1933) issues.

That said, and I still put a Brasher Doubloon on the page. But seriously, who's going to complain about a Brasher Doubloon being included? This Pre-Federal issue was struck when George Washington was thinking seriously about the need for a Mint of The United States. And the creator of the Doubloon was a friend and neighbour of our first president. That's about all of the justification that I need. Besides, I'll probably move the doubloon to the colonial exhibit once it's complete.

In 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt put a stop to the private ownership of gold in the United States of America and took us off the gold standard with Presidential Order 6260. Many, many rarities found there way to the melting pot! Perhaps the most ironic aspect to this fact is the new $5 commemmorative gold coin introduced by our infinitely wise U.S. Mint. Normally, I'm not really a Mint slammer, but this just isn't one of their more proud moments. This new gold coin has none other than F.D.R. himself on the obverse! This ought to be a real popular issue... NOT!

President Ford gave the right of gold ownership back to the American people in the late 1970's. The United States Mint began producing gold bullion coins in 1986. When the photographs for several of these issues were taken for the gold portion of the great Eliasberg collection, the Roosevelt gold order was still in effect.

Mitch Hight is the owner of Rarity Exchange Company. He has been involved in numismatics for over 30 years and is a life member of the American Numismatic Association. Mr. Hight may be contacted at Rexco, P.O. Box 8123, Colorado Springs, CO 80933 or by email at mitch@coin-gallery.com

Source : Coin-Gallery.com

The Virtues of Toned Coins

While grading is perhaps the most hotly debated topic in American numismatics, there is another issue that can lead to much discussion pro and con. This is the subject of toning on coins. It seems that every few years someone writes an article or letter to the editor attempting to warn collectors away from toned coins. This is usually answered almost immediately by a number of responses in defense of naturally toned coins. Even so, the long-term effect of negative articles on toning has been to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of many coin dealers and collectors. There are some who refuse to buy toned coins or do so reluctantly, and I believe this is a misguided policy.

Any experienced coin collector or dealer knows that most metals used for coining have a natural tendency to acquire toning over time. This is a completely natural process that occurs as atoms at the coin's surface interact with their environment, forming new compounds. The resulting veil refracts light according to its variable thickness, producing one or more colors within the visible light spectrum. These may appear in a uniform pattern, coloring the entire coin evenly, or they may produce intermittent blushes of color. Perhaps the most desirable toning is that which appears in concentric circles of distinctive colors. These typically emanate from the coin's border and reach toward its center, with the latter often remaining untoned or just lightly toned. While toning is not always so finely drawn, in many instances the beauty of such atmospheric action on a coin can be simply breathtaking.

The late Dr. William Sheldon, author of the book Penny Whimsy, knew well the appeal of natural toning on his beloved early cents, and he captured its allure in words: "Old copper, like beauty, appears to possess a certain intrinsic quality or charm which for many people is irresistible . . . copper seems to possess an almost living warmth and a personality not encountered in any other metal. You see the rich shades of green, red, brown, yellow, and even deep ebony; together with blendings of these not elsewhere matched in nature save perhaps in autumn leaves."

While Sheldon was speaking only of copper coins, it's true also that silver, nickel and, to a lesser extent, gold may likewise acquire attractive coloration over time. Again, this is not universal, as some coins become blotchy or spotted, but there are plenty examples of superb toning in the marketplace and such coins are eagerly sought by knowledgeable and experienced buyers.

Why then are so many collectors seemingly afraid of toned coins? There appears to be a predisposition in the United States coin market toward favoring untoned or "white" coins over those possessing rich coloration, and it simply doesn't make any sense. It's only natural that old coins, particularly silver pieces, acquire various degrees and shades of color over time. This is one of the most charming qualities of antique coins that distinguish them from more recent issues, and I believe collectors who don't already do so should learn to appreciate the virtues of toned coins.

In other areas of collectibles the value of natural toning, or patina, is widely understood. In fact, experts in antique furniture frequently extol the virtue of such original patina, and it often adds to the value of the object. Even collectors of toy trains or mechanical banks will agree that the original surfaces of a collectible item, no matter what its condition, are more desirable than any skilled attempt to replicate its appearance when new.

It's not surprising that persons new to collecting coins will consider a shiny example to be more appealing than one that appears aged. I suppose we all buffed our first coin acquisitions before placing them in our Whitman folders, but time and experience soon taught us that this is not the thing to do with coins. So then why do collectors still resist toned coins even when such pieces are so revered by experienced numismatists?

I believe the answer lies in the fact that some collectors and dealers perceive toning as a form of damage. Also, many are unable to distinguish original toning from so-called artificial toning, and that induces both suspicion and fear. Yes, people do induce toning on otherwise white coins for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it's simply to make the piece more natural looking, but there are also times when it's done to conceal harsh cleaning or some flaw in the coin such as hairline scratches or repairs. The fear of unknowingly acquiring these deceptive pieces seems to lie behind the resistance many collectors and dealers have toward toned coins.

That's where certification makes the difference. While the originality of a coin's color can be subjective, the experts at the various grading services usually know the difference between a naturally toned, original coin and one that has been altered in any way. Believe me, when it comes to "doctored" coins we've seen nearly everything, and that has only reinforced our appreciation of nice, original pieces. While encapsulated coins may not appeal to all collectors, no one is saying that you can't buy such coins for the assurance that they offer and then simply remove them from their holders. It's certainly better than having to rely on limited experience to determine whether a particular piece has a shady past.

While a coin that has very dark or otherwise unattractive toning may actually be improved by a skillful chemical dipping to remove the unsightly tarnish, many pieces are harmed through improper dipping. This is especially true when the work is being performed by someone who lacks either the knowledge or the inclination to do it properly. Such carelessness can lead to a coin that acquires unattractive spotting or staining over time, because the chemical was not thoroughly rinsed away. In addition, many coins are over-dipped, resulting in a loss of luster. This leaves a coin that has a very flat, lifeless look to it. Certification services come down hard on such coins, reflecting a coin market that places little value on impaired pieces. In contrast, an attractively toned coin may actually grade a bit higher than it would have otherwise, since nice toning is viewed in the marketplace as an asset.

Some coin types are more likely than others to tone attractively. While there are always exceptions to every rule, coins having more centralized devices tend to tone more symmetrically, as do those having very simple designs. For example, modern coins such as Roosevelt Dimes and Washington Quarters typically will acquire very nice toning. More complex coins, particularly those in which the devices are less well centered, frequently tone in an irregular pattern. A good example of this is the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, which tends to acquire unbalanced toning. Also seldom seen with rich and symmetrical toning are Peace Dollars. Though millions were stored by the U. S. Treasury in the same environment as Morgan Dollars, only the latter are commonly seen with desirable toning. In fact, a beautifully toned Peace Dollar is such a rarity that I don't believe the market truly appreciates this quality, clearly favoring brilliant over toned coins.

With the prevalence of certified and encapsulated coins in the current market, one doesn't see many high-grade collections being placed within albums anymore, as was the custom just twenty or thirty years ago. Largely unknown to the current generation of collectors and dealers is the power these cardboard albums held to turn white coins into splendidly toned beauties. Particularly noted for this attribute were the sulfur-rich albums manufactured by Wayte Raymond and his successors. Known variously as the National Album or the American Album, this line produced some of the finest toning seen on vintage silver coins. Some people are still acquiring these obsolete albums for the sole purpose of toning coins, though the results are not always predictable, and you proceed at your own risk. In any case, such toning takes years to develop, but there are evidently collectors willing to wait a decade or two to achieve the desired effect.

Certain coin types are notable for having particular forms of toning. For instance, many of the commemorative halves from the 1930s were mounted in cardboard holders and then placed within envelopes for delivery to their purchasers. These cardboard holders secured the coin by having a strip of paper projecting across the hole. The paper projection was cut so that it included a disc shape somewhat smaller than the coin. If left undisturbed for many years, the coins stored in such holders typically acquired a pattern of toning that mimicked the shape of this projection, or tab. For that reason, such coins are described as having "tab toning," and this feature is valued as an unmistakable sign of originality. Some of these holders were generic, being used for several different commemorative coin issues, while others were manufactured for specific coins. In either case, the resulting patina adds a dimension of aesthetic and historic value lacking in a coin that is brilliant.

It is this feature of toning that often adds a distinctive quality to coins, permitting them to rise above their peers. After all, there are thousands of 1942 Walking Liberty Halves in fully white, mint state condition, but how many are there with charming, original toning? Unfortunately, the population reports issued by certification services can't distinguish between toned and brilliant coins, with the sole exception of copper pieces. If it were possible to do this, I believe that many recent coins would prove to be quite scarce with nice toning. From my first-hand observation of thousands of coins monthly, I know this to be true.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to appreciate nice toning is this: Once removed, it may never reappear in the same manner. It takes many years for coins to tone naturally, though this process is accelerated in certain environments. The best toning occurs over a period of several decades, as witnessed by the superb coins seen in a number of prominent, old-time collections. For example, the Garrett Collection, assembled between the 1860s and 1942, was rich in splendidly toned copper and silver coins. The Eliasberg Collection, which included the former holdings of the Clapp Family, was a contemporary of the Garrett Collection, having been assembled between the 1880s and 1950. It too featured hundreds of stunningly toned coins, many of which were acquired directly from the U. S. Mints of manufacture when new. These were carefully set aside and never cleaned, permitting nature a free hand at providing them with gorgeous patinas.

It takes only a second or two to wipe away a lifetime of nature's splendid handiwork. The number of originally toned United States coins has dwindled over the past forty years, as a couple generations of collectors have been misled into believing that "brighter is always better." Unfortunately, no chemical or mechanical cleaning can ever make a coin look exactly as it did when new, and countless pieces have been irreparably harmed by unskilled attempts at cleaning.

At NGC, we recognize the appeal of both brilliant and toned coins, and each piece is evaluated on its merit, without prejudice for or against toning. But I believe that as values rise and the coin market becomes ever more sophisticated, originality will prove to be as important as luster in determining a coin's value. As with any endangered species, we have an obligation to preserve the natural character of such desirable pieces for future generations.

Mark Salzberg is President of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of America. He has been involved in numismatics for over 30 years. Mr. Salzberg may be contacted at NGC, P.O. Box 1776, Parsippany, NJ 07054 or by email at Msalzberg@NGCcoin.com

Source : Coin-Gallery.com

U.S. Botanic Garden Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin

Treasury Secretary Approves Designs For U.S. Botanic Garden Commemorative Silver Dollar

New Silver Dollar Included in Mint's Final Edition of 80,000 Prestige Sets Limited Edition of 25,000 Coin & Currency Sets Also Planned

Washington, D.C. -- The United States Mint nowadays announced that Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin has standard the designs for the United States Botanic Garden Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin.

Designs for the coin have been mandated by the authorizing legislation, Public Law 103-328, which specifies that a rendering of the French frontage of the U.S. Botanic Garden be depicted on the face margin, and a rose and the anniversary dates of 1820-1995 perform on the setback area of the coin. The face rendering of the French facade is by U.S. Mint Sculptor/Engraver Edgar Z. Steever, IV, and the transpose rose and anniversary dates by U.S. Mint Sculptor/Engraver William C. Cousins.

Signing by the President on September 29, 1994, the law provides for the minting of not more than 500,000 90 percent silver coins with a $10 surcharge included in the price of each coin. All surcharges will go to the National Fund for the United States Botanic Garden to furnish the projects and mission of the patch in Washington, D.C.

Of singular concern to collectors, the U.S. Botanic Garden Commemorative Silver Dollar will be included in the last Prestige Set that the U.S. Mint will suggest, with a narrow copy of 80,000 sets.

The Mint will also agreement an imperfect book of 25,000 Botanic Garden Coin & Currency Sets, featuring an uncirculated Botanic Garden silver dollar, an uncirculated 1997 Jefferson Nickel, a modern George Washington one-dollar remark with a Virginia Federal Reserve Bank seal, and a historical booklet, to vindicate the significance of the national patch and to commemorate the task the founding fathers played in establishing the backyard in Washington, D.C. Contact: Press study: Michael White (202) 354-7222 Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468)

Coin Information Provided Courtesy The United States Mint.

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Commemorative Coin

Celebrate the first gathering of Congress in the U.S. Capitol and be part of history in the making by selection encourage the first ever Visitor Center for the U.S. Capitol. Congress has authorized three commemorative coins to celebrate the bicentennial of the first encounter of Congress at the U.S. Capitol structure in Washington, D.C. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each coin -- $35 for gold, $10 for silver, $3 for dressed -- is authorized to be salaried to the Capitol Preservation Fund for the tenacity of aiding the construction, maintenance, and preservation of a new Capitol Visitor Center. The Visitor Centered will deal advanced facilities, limitless educational movies and exhibits, and will eliminate long waits slight.

The gold five-cash coin is the pattern of Elizabeth Jones, the only lady to storage the view of U.S. Mint Chief Sculptor/Engraver. The face of this coin includes a difficult monument of a record Corinthian line, the mode found on the Capitol structure. The coin’s repeal is adorned with a view of the earliest construct, beautifully portraying the edifice where the first congressional sitting was seized in the U.S. Capitol.

The silver money faced is a creation of comedian Marika Somogy. The obverse portrays the first U.S. Capitol superimposed on the persona of nowadays’s Capitol building. The contrasting imagery illustrated how we have mature as the residents. The back is the draft of Mint sculptor/engraver John Mercanti and portrays a frank eagle covered in a banner adorned “U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.”

Dean McMullen designed the dressed half-money obverse. It features the previous U.S. Capitol building within an outline of the portray day Capitol. The invert is a combination of designs by artists Marcel Jovine and Alex Shagin. It portrays 16 stars and the inscription “32 SENATORS; 106 HOUSE MEMBERS”. The stars epitomize the number of states and the inscriptions reflects number of members in the 6th Congress-the first Congress to assemble in the new Capitol in 1800.

Metal composition of the coins is as follow:

Gold five-buck; 90% gold and 10% alloy, diameter is 0.850 (±0.003) inches or 21.59 (±0.08) mm and the emphasis is 8.359 (±0.042) grams. Silver one-cash; 90% silver and 10% alloy, diameter is 1.500 (±0.003) inches or 38.10 (±0.08) mm and the emphasis is 26.730 (±0.400) grams. Clothing half-money; 92% copper and 8% nickel, diameter is 1.205 (±0.003) inches or 30.61 (±0.08) mm and the heaviness is 11.340 (±0.454) grams. The coins were untaken by the United States Mint with diverse packaging options and at different prices. Each choice has its own formal Certificate of Authenticity.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy The United States Mint.

Black Revolutionary War Patriots Silver Dollar Coin

The Tribute

The Black Revolutionary War Patriots Silver Dollar commemorates Black Revolutionary Patriots and the 275th anniversary of the birth of Crispus Attucks, the first loyalist killed in the infamous Boston Massacre in 1770. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the coins will back the construction of the Black Patriots Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. near the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

About the Coin

The obverse of the silver dough, planned by Mint Sculptor/Engraver John Mercanti, is a sketch of Crispus Attucks. The quash intention, by performer Ed Dwight, depicting a Black Patriot family, is also the design of the statuette for the Black Patriots Memorial, reverence not only the black soldiers who fought for candor, but also the families who supported them.

Previously open are the Proof Silver Dollar, the Uncirculated Silver Dollar, and the Two-Coin Proof and Uncirculated Set. The Young Collector's Edition, partial to only 20,000 sets, includes the Uncirculated Silver Dollar in an entertaining, informative container. The Black Patriots Coin & Stamp Set, skin the Proof Silver Dollar and four commemorative stamps reverence abolitionist Frederick Douglas, inventor Benjamin Banneker, soldier Salem Poor, and Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy The United States Mint.

Indian Head Bronze Cents 1864-1909

The shots at Fort Sumter that launched the Civil War didn't enclose out pending April 12, 1861, but preparations for war were under way well before that-plus financial preparations. Expecting the conflict, edgy Americans on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line began sign gold and silver

coins. The stride of this activity accelerated following the choice of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in November of 1860, for he was perceived as a hard-line Unionist suspect to compromise with southern politicians. It reached fever pitch after Dec. 28, 1861, when New York banks suspended specie payments in reponse to the issuance of national paper money which was not redeemable in coin. By the summer of 1862, precious-metal coins all but disappeared from circulation.

Not being made of precious metal, cents sustained to circulate for a few months longer. In verity, it seemed inconceivable the Americans would pile cents. The large, intrinsically effective copper cents used since the inception of the realm's change were replaced in 1857 by the slighter copper-nickel Flying Eagle cents-fiat issues, merit minus as metal than, as money. That was curious in the mid-19th century; most U. S. Coins had high intrinsic appraise, and Americans had come to assume and even insist this in their penny. Nonetheless, the broadcast had welcomed the large cents' demise, considering the coins too cumbersome for usual use.

The new small cents-known as "colorless cents" because of their pale incline-became even more accepted in 1859 when, due to striking problems, the Mint replaced the creative Flying Eagle affect with a new one depicting a female clothed in a feathered Indian crown. This "Indian Head" portrait, not a native American profile but apparently modeled after the Greco-Roman model Venus Accroupie, had widespread urge, reinforcing the acceptance the colorless cents already enjoyed because of their versatile dimension.

Production levels were high-far superior to those of the large cents they replaced-and it was common education that the metal in each coin was worth excluding than one cent. Nevertheless the Civil War shattered many accepted beliefs, counting the perception that small-limit, low-assess cents were immune from notice.

Initially, bags of cents served as one of the central means of payment for anxious merchants deprived of silver coins. Before long, however, the cents too became a target for hoarders. They were, after all, government-release coins, and as such were preferable to the all-but-irredeemable "shinplasters" (scrip and wildcat pile comments) being generally presented. Furthermore, the worth of nickel-fueled by wartime pressure-was rising promptly, giving these nickel-alloy coins bigger intrinsic cost. By December 1862, cents had coupled gold and silver coins on the step.

That was when need gave birth to invention-not by Uncle Sam but by secretive entrepreneurs. To stuff the vacuum left by the departure of federal money, merchants and promoters began producing cent-sized model tokens, normally effect an oblique or even exact potential of redemption in cargo, navy or money. These "Civil War tokens" gained broad acceptance as a money substitute. Mint officials were duly impressed, and in 1864 they reshaped the cent in these tokens' aura, replacing the copper-nickel "ashen cent" with a slimmed-down rendering made of figurine.

Besides being darker in paint, the new cent was one-third lighter in substance. Its diameter was unchanged, however, and it still bore the same Indian Head face model and unadorned circlet and shelter transpose fashioned for its predecessor by the Mint's chief engraver, James B. Longacre. The new coin's components were less expensive than nickel, and this mutual with its sink emphasis made it much cheaper to fabricate. It was also easier to reach, as figure is much softer than nickel. And like the tokens it successfully replaced, it enjoyed ready acceptance from the municipal, effectively finale the dearth of cents in circulation.

Both kinds of cents were issued in 1864, with the sculpture outnumbering the copper nickel by about 3-to-1. Despite its higher mintage, the image cent provided the year's scarcest class: one on which Longacre's first "L" appears on the ribbon of the Indian's boater. The designer didn't add this until recent in the year, so relatively few 1864 cents have it. Apparently, a large mass of these "L" cents went to England, for many pieces were improved from there in the 1950s and 60s.

Bronze Indian cents remained in production lacking interruption for near half a century before giving way to the Abraham Lincoln kind in 1909. The invent remained the same for the intact run except for instant changes in 1886, when the then chief engraver, Charles Barber, faintly lowered the relief and made a small change in the stand of the bust. For all but the last two time, Indian Heads were struck only at the chief mint in Philadelphia; in 1908 and 1909, the San Francisco office struck cents, the period in very limited quantities. On these, the "S" mint show appears below the garland on the switch.

Total mintage for the string reached almost 1.6 billion, along with 96,848 proofs. Annual production topped 100 million only once, in 1907, and sank below one million for just two issues: 1877 and 1909-S. At 309,000 pieces, 1909-S has the lowly mintage, but the 1877-at 852,500-is more valuable, because fewer examples were set departure. Other scarce issues include the 1869 with a doubled 9, 1872 and 1908-S. Proofs were struck every year, usually in the thousands, except for the prior days which saw mintages under 1,000. The 1864 coins had the minimum testimony mintages: 150 for the no "L" form and only 20 for the with "L" coin, making it a major scarcity. Counterfeits subsist, particularly of coins dated 1877 and 1909-S, and to a smaller extent, the 1864 "L," the 1866 to 1878 issues and 1908-S. Questionable pieces should always be authenticated.

When grading Indian Head cents, the first chairs to show bear on the obverse will be the locks above the ear and the twist to the right of the ribbon; on the annul, bill the bow tether.

Mint asserted examples survive in substantial quantities in grades up to MS-65, but their population drops sharply in MS-66 and above. Fully red coins, of course, are rarer still. Although the chain is relatively long, it encompasses just 51 pieces-even plus 1864 L, 1869/9 and the Open 3 and Closed 3 cents of 1873-because there are only two twig-mint issues. Given this fact and the limited number of high-priced rarities, many collectors assemble undivided date-and-mint sets. The chain relics one of the most accepted of all United States issues.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Diameter: 19 millimeters Weight: 3.11 grams Composition: .950 copper.050 tin and zinc Edge: Plain

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bowers, Q. David, A Buyer's and Enthusiast's Guide to Fly Eagle and Indian Cents, Bowers & Merena Galleries, Wolfeboro, NH, 1996. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York, 1988. Snow, Richard, Flying Eagle & Indian Cents, Eagle Eye Press, 1992. Steve, Larry R. & Flynn, Kevin J. Flying Eagle and Indian Cent Die Varieties, Nuvista Press, Jarrettsville, MD, 1995. Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing Co. Inc., New York, 1966. Vermeule, Cornelius, Numismatic Art in America, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1971.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.

Flying Eagle Cents 1856-1858 Coin

By the mid-1850s it was evident to Mint officials that the large copper cents struck since 1793 were too cumbersome and unpopular, as well as increasingly uneconomical to make. The idea of fiduciary change, based on the trustworthiness of the issuing firmness, not on the coin's intrinsic speed, launch to grab on as well. Sooner or later the "big coppers" would have deceased the way of the relic, but it was the large records of small Spanish colonial silver coins in use throughout the United States that lastly made it imperative the slighter cents had to be struck, and not necessarily of unsullied copper.

It Mint Director James R. Snowden's covet to see all unknown coins obsessed out of the channels of buying in the United States. The penny law accepted by Congress on February 21, 1857 gave him the means to do so. Besides abolishing the the cent, the law also specific that the new cents would weigh 72 grains and be poised of 88% copper and 12% nickel. Furthermore, they were redeemable for the old copper cents and half cents. Nevertheless the most important provision as far as Snowden was troubled was the one that allowed the Mint and the Treasury Department to exchange Spanish bend-reales, reales and medios at the toll of 25, 12-1/2, and 6-1/4 cents, respectively, for the new cents. All other government offices would only convince these three denominations at the rate of 20, 10, and 5 cents. With such an able profit motive, banks were very desirous of exchanging as many of the external silver coins as viable for the new "nicks," as the Flying Eagle cents were called.

When the Flying Eagle cents were first free on May 25, 1857, more than a thousand people wound around the mint edifice to convert their old Spanish coins and large coppers. Within the mint's square was erected a brief, wood structure with two banker windows. Above each porthole was a marker sense, respectively, "cents for cents" and "cents for silver." The Philadelphia Bulletin described the setting: "Every man and boy in the crowd had his state of coin with him. Some had their rouleaux of Spanish coin has done up in bits of newspaper or wrapped in handerchiefs, while others had carpet bags, baskets and other shipping contrivances, packed with coppers-'very inferior and inside,' like boarding house fare."

A minor sell for the small cents urban immediately, some people even paying a premium right on the reason of the mint house itself. Soon enough, although, the "nicks" became commonplace and. By 1859 when the Indian cent point was introduced, the Mint had struck an entire of 42,050,000 cents with the Flying Eagle plan, more than enough for somebody who wished to have numerous examples. Snowden was successful in lashing out the now-demonitized Spanish coins, and by 1859 it was estimated that some $2 million meaning of the foreign silver pieces had been recoined into U.S. subsidiary currency.

Designing by James B. Longacre, the Flying Eagle image was actually an adaptation of the purpose worn on mold silver dollars twenty existence before. The eagle cost had originally been drained by Titian Peale and sculpted by Christian Gobrecht. The setback headdress was also adapted from the copy Longacre had made for the 1854 one and three cash gold pieces.

As with several other Longacre designs, the relief was too high. The caused harms on effusive struck coins-they would not stack correctly-and on excluding than entirely formed pieces it created evils associated with die opposition, that is, each the eagle's move and tail did not beat up smarmy on the face or the garland was ill-clear on the transpose. On coins square 1857, weak reorder definition is especially prevalent.

Flying Eagle cents have proven enormously common over the decades, creation with the derive spring of 1856. It is unclear just how many 1856 cents were struck, but the best estimates drop in the extend of 800 to as many as 1,500 pieces. Both proofs and company strikes were made, as well as originals and restrikes. All are dear and have been extensively hoarded over the being, the most prominent stockpile of which came from the estate of Colonel John A. Beck, who at one time owned 531 pieces.

The 1856 Flying Eagle cent is one of the few American coins whose assess is better than its scarcity. Worth more than $2,000 in Good order, the 1856 cent has an amount and concern to collectors of U.S. currency that goes far afar the more narrow scope of "penny" collectors. Why? The only reasonable answer seems to be: because they forever have been valuable. Even in the recent 1850s, 1856 cents value a dollar or two depending on form.

Collectors of Flying Eagle cents have numerous habits to collect these coins. An absolute year and selection set is likely and consists of only five issues: 1856, 1857, 1858 Small Letters, 1858 Large Letters and 1858/7. These coins are regularly unruffled with the Indian Head cycle. Type collectors normally fuse to the 1857 or one of the two 1858 issues. More superior numismatists regularly assemble sets of the pattern money of this fabricate. Proofs are really underdone, excepting for the 1856, and doubtless less than a equal of 100 proofs subsist of the three issues from 1857 and 1858.

Grading Flying Eagles can be somewhat tricky due to the above-mentioned weakness of assail encountered on many examples. The points of the outline to show friction first are the eagle's breast and wingtips on the face and the bow on the undo. With mint assert coins that are dimly struck on the control or tail of the eagle or on the opposite circlet, it is imperative that mint gleam be present on all areas of the target.

Flying Eagle cents have been extensively counterfeited. Fakes have been made by changing digits in the date, deceitful dies have been shaped to smack phonies and ignite erosion dies have been used. When in mistrust or, when purchasing a high priced Flying Eagle cent, it is always best to have the coin's authenticity expertly verified.

It was Longacre's failure to score dies properly that led to the early demise of the string. A new construct was desirable where die opposition would not be a setback as it had been between the eagle on the frontage and the wreath on the reverse. It was this need that led Longacre to restore the small cent for 1859, replacing the rapid eagle construct with an Indian rule. The primary small cent design, however, gave collectors of 19th century U.S. coins a quick, yet challenging sequence that continues to stratagem numismatists more than a century later.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Diameter: 19 millimeters. Weight: 4.67 grams Composition: .880 copper.120 nickel Edge: Plain

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bowers, Q. David, A Buyer's and Enthusiast's Guide to Fly Eagle and Indian Cents, Bowers & Merena Galleries, Wolfeboro, NH, 1996. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Proof Coins 1722-1977, F.C.I. Press, Albertson, NY, 1977. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. And Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York, 1988. Carothers, Neil, Fractional Money, A History of the Small Coins and Fractional Paper Currency of the United States, John Wiley & Sons, London, 1930. Snow, Richard, Flying Eagle and Indian Cents, Eagle Eye Press, 1992. Steve, Larry R. & Flynn, Kevin J. Flying Eagle and Indian Cent Die Varieties, Nuvista Press, Jarrettsville, MD, 1995. Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing, New York, 1966.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.

Mercury Dimes 1916-1945 Coin

Despite its tiny amount, the "Mercury" dime may very well be the most exquisite coin ever created by the United States Mint. It is extremely remarkable that a coin this small could have such an elaborate and aesthetically lovely target.

One thing its objective does not describe, however, is Mercury, the courier of the gods in Roman mythology. The study on its facade is actually that of Liberty irksome a winged cap symbolizing abandon of thought. Thus, the coin more correctly is known as the Winged Head Liberty dime. Nevertheless the misnomer "Mercury" was applied to it early on and, after the existence of communal custom, has stuck.

Whatever it's called, this dime represented an embrace change of tempo when it made its first appearance in 1916. Indeed, it implied more than excellent of thought: it also was an image of America's new character, exuberance reflected in the novelty and vitality of the new U.S. penny as a total in the early 1900s. The coin it replaced, the starchy Barber dime, was rooted in the 19th century, a time when American life was more rigid and prim. In an artistic sense this new coin was a breath of cool air, even however its inspiration went all the way back to the primeval Greeks and Romans.

Clearly, the Mint and Treasury supposed it time for a change. Under an 1890 law, they couldn't restore a coin motif more frequently than every 25 existence. The Barber dime, lodge and half money, first produced in 1892, reached the part-century smear in 1916, and the Mint wasted no time in replacing all three. Actually, his misinterpretation of the 1890 law led Mint Director Robert W. Woolley to judge that he must reinstate the presented designs when they reached 25 being of production.

The Mint began laying the groundwork in the last days of 1915, when it set the rostrum for an unusual competition to gain new designs for the coins. Director Woolley invited three imminent sculptors-Hermon A. MacNeil, Albin Polasek and Adolph A. Weinman, all New York City-to make designs for the three silver coins, evidently to awarding a different coin to each artiste.

Whatever the Mint's intention may have been, Weinman broken up receiving two of the three coins-the dime and half cash-with MacNeil getting the lodge dough and Polasek being shut out. Nevertheless few would quibble with the selections, for all three of the new coins-the Mercury dime, the Standing Liberty house money and the Walking Liberty half dough-inevitably happen on most collectors' lists of the finest U.S. coins ever made.

The German-natural Weinman had come to the United States in 1880 at the age of 10 and had willful under the infamous Augustus Saint-Gaudens. By 1915 he had gained a reputation as one of the populace's leading babyish sculptors. Weinman solidified this permanent with his artwork for the dime.

Its generally thought that the Winged Liberty portrait is based on a bust that Weinman did in 1913 of Elsie Kachel Stevens, wife of well-known versifier Wallace Stevens. She and her husband were tenants at the time in a New York City residence house owned by the sculptor. The transpose of the coin depicts the fasces, an ancient figure of persuade, with a crusade-ax atop it to epitomize preparedness and a lime separate beside it to denote the covet for harmony. With World War I powerful in Europe, these were emotional themes in 1916.

Release of the very first Mercury dimes was delayed pending recent in the year, as the dies were not yet swift. Coins of the old Barber point were hurriedly coined to gather the demand. The Denver Minted made only 264,000 examples of the new dimes, and 1916-D has been the great key of the chain ever since-the only coin with a mintage below one million. The mintmark appears on the inverse, below and left of the fasces. Other scarce coins enter 1921, 1921-D and the 1942/1 overdates from both Philadelphia and Denver. Brilliant proofs were made from 1936 through 1942, and there exists at slightest one 1916 dull resilient.

Collectors with a weakness for perfection entreat Mercury dimes with "filled split bands," completely obvious ranks in the bands around the fasces. For most dates these order significantly elevated premiums than coins lacking such describe. Lack of filled bands doesn't mean a coin mint-position; often, it plainly denotes a weak punch. The bands do wait as a checkpoint for corrosion, however, since they're so high and exposed. Other spots to confirm are Liberty's coat and the area in front of her ear.

For most of the string, production at the fork mints in Denver and San Francisco was minus than ten million pieces a year. Outputs were advanced at the focal mint in Philadelphia but exceeded 100 million only five epoch. Large facts of Mercury dimes subsist in grades up to Mint State-65, and they're quickly untaken even in MS-66 and 67, at least for the later dates. This, joint with their beauty, makes them very promotable. Facing 77 time-and-mint combinations, not counting the overdates, many collectors pleased themselves with just a distinct lettering coin. Others assemble "sharply sets" from 1934 through 1945 or 1941 through `45.

The Mercury dime served Americans well during one of this land's most violent eras. Born on the eve of our nation's note into World War I, it remained a central part of America's money place right through the end of World War II, bowing out in 1945. Along the way, it took pivot theater during the Great Depression as the claim coin in the down-and-outers' anthem, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" The desire of Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross to switch the Mercury dime with portraying Benjamin Franklin in 1938 was delayed awaiting after the war, Franklin eventually finding a home on the half buck ten being later.

In 1946, following the casualty of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a new devise with a portrait of the former President was issued. It was proper that this denomination was chosen to perpetuate his recall, as during his lifetime he was a significant influence in the March of Dimes battle against polio.

Even in its finishing years, this was a coin with authentic buying right. Armed with a Mercury dime, youngsters in the1940s had their choice of a 52-page comic book, a double-dip ice cream funnel, two Hershey bars or two bottles of Coca-Cola. Remaining in circulation right awaiting the end of silver coinage, Mercury dimes were a known glimpse as behind as the 1960s.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Diameter: 17.9 millimeters Weight: 2.50 grams Composition: .900 silver.100 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .07234 degree unmixed silver

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York, 1988. Lange, David W. The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes, DLRC Press, Virginia Beach, VA, 1993. Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing Co., New York, 1966. Vermeule, Cornelius, Numismatic Art in America, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1971. Yeoman, R.S., A Guide Book of United States Coins, 47th Edition. Western Publishing Co., Racine, WI, 1993.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.

Barber Dimes 1892-1916 Coin

As early as 1879, municipal dissatisfaction with the Seated Liberty proposal was heard in Washington and Philadelphia. It was felt by many that the realm's coin designs were back-tariff, but few could have predicted how mundane a change could actually be. New mint engravers submitted designs throughout the early 1880s, but the only outcome was the production of a new nickel in 1883 intended by Chief Engraver Charles Barber. In 1891, when there was much discussion of a communal competition for new designs for the dime, district money and half cash, Barber reported to Mint Director James Kimball that there was no one in the country who was clever of helping him in preparing primary designs.

This same egoism was also found in one of the principal sculptors of the day, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who confided to the Mint Director that there were only four men in the world competent to do such a redesigning: three were in France, and he was the fourth. Kimball insisted that very than unfilled abroad to find the best fabricate talent available, it would be viable to find able designers in America. To that end a panel of ten of the leading artists and sculptors of the day was commissioned to guess which would be the best designs for the new currency. Rather than make any decisions about a topic competition, the panel instead discarded the language of the competition as future by Mint officials on the basis that the preparation time for plaster models was too dumpy and the monetary compensation too trifling.

The Mint Director discarded the panel's suggestions and threw the competition open to the shared. The outcome of a shared competition were likewise discouraging. Of the more than 300 drawings submitted, only two were accorded a good remark by a four-associate panel appointed by Kimball (it should be imminent that one of the panel members was Charles Barber).

Kimball's successor to the mint directorship was Edward O. Leech. The latter was well awake of the evils Director Kimball had encountered annoying to get new coin designs. Leech avoided what he termed the "wretched letdown" of committees and public discussion all together by modestly directing the chief engraver to draw new designs which, of course, is what Barber hunted all along.

What Barber did was to temper the large journey worn on the Morgan dollar by adding a Liberty cap and cropping Liberty's wool shorter in back. He then sited his initial B on the truncation of the shaft. The converse uses almost the same wreath used on the Seated Liberty dime of 1860-91.

What Barber did accomplish with his new dime, while, was to draft and place into production a coin that would endure the salient requirements of complex, high-alacrity coin presses. As a Mint employee he was acutely sentient of the penury for coins to be planned so they would assault up with one drive from the coin plead. His mistrust to outsiders was, no doubt, due in part to distrust, but in all fairness he did understand the testing specifications necessary to achieve millions of coins for commercial purposes.

The first Barber dimes were struck on January 2, 1892. Over half a billion pieces were struck during the next twenty-five time. Some issues have mintages as small as 500,000 (such as 1895-O, 1901-S and 1913-S), while others were struck in quantities as large as 22 million (1907-P). At one time or another four mints struck these coins, and the mintmark of Denver (D), San Francisco (S) and New Orleans (O) can be found on the junior transpose below the loop in the bow (there being no mintmark for coins struck in Philadelphia).

Barber dimes are, for the most part, a completeable set of coins with no significant court or mintmark rarities, excluding for the legendary 1894-S. The low relief sketched confident that most coins would be sharply struck, excluding for a few issues from New Orleans (known for weak strikes over the decades). This necessary of any great effect rarities in the Barber chain stands in downright compare to the next sequence, Adolph Weinman's "Mercury" blueprint, where squishy stunning facts make that chain such a challenge.

There is one great shortage in the Barber dime string, one of the rarest coins in all U.S. numismatics-the 1894-S dime. Allegedly, 24 pieces were struck on orders from San Francisco Mint Superintendent J. Daggett. Only ten specimens can be accounted for today, which presents one of the great numismatic mysteries of the earlier hundred days: Where are the other fourteen 1894-S dimes that were reportedly struck? All the known 1894-S dimes proofs, and all were struck from the same set of dies. Much has been written on this fascinating shortage over the time, and there are many interesting stories and theories about these coins. Undoubtedly the best known untruth is that Superintendent Daggett gave three of the coins to his daughter Hallie and told her to keep them pending she was as old as he was, when they would be worth a lot of money. On her way home from the mint, she useless one of the dimes on a dish of ice cream. Today that coin is known as the "Ice Cream Specimen." The other two she kept and lastly sold in the 1950s.

Grading Barber dimes are a relatively unadorned handle. On high grade coins, signs of circulation will first seem on Liberty's cheek and in the fields. For a coin to be uncirculated, all the mint patina must be outfitted and steady over both sides.

Proofs were struck in each year excluding 1916, and the only overhang find in this series is the 1893/2 overdate. The 1894-S dime is the only number to have been counterfeited in any appreciable records. Dangerous forgeries have been made by shifting the mintmark on an 1894-O or adding one to a Philadelphia coin. Others were made in the mid-1970s in The Philippines.

The series is regularly cool by beginners in Good to Very Good grades, while more advanced collectors choose mint territory and testimony examples. Recently, however, collectors have showed a renewed profit in this and the other Barber series in XF and AU grades. Several issues of these intermediate grade coins are extremely challenging to locate. Curiously, some issues are more demanding to locate in snag-unbound XF or AU than in mint condition due to the signpost of original BU rolls.

Barber dimes are also very common with typeface collectors, especially in high grades. Because the series spans both the 19th and 20th centuries, anyone attempting to absolute a typeface set from the century will need an example.

While the Barber dime may require the artistic earn that designs before, and after displayed, this class, with its distinctive 19th century motif, has remained a favorite with collectors over the decades.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Diameter: 17.9 millimeters Weight: 2.50 grams Composition: .900 silver.100 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: 0.0723 ounce wholesome silver

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York, 1988. Lawrence, David, The Complete Guide to Barber Dimes, DLRC Press,Virginia Beach, VA, 1991. Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing, New York, 1966.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.

Standing Liberty Quarter Dollars 1916-1930 Coin

The year was 1916. World I was wild in Europe, and the next climate in the United States was definitely guarded. Nine days before, President Theodore Roosevelt had started using classical propose motifs for our gold coins, and now, as the Coinage Act of 1890 had authorized, it time to change the trifling silver coins. U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber's "uninspired" propose had patent the lodge, dime and half money for the preceding district century, and the civic was prime for something different. It was the wonderful opportunity to question a coin that, as a contemporary government describe put it, "was intended to exemplify in an assess the start pursuit of the country to it's own protection."

Thus, the Standing Liberty house was untaught. As was the lawsuit with the other new money, a competition was detained to cliquey the drawing. The comedian chosen was a prominent sculptor of the day, Hermon Atkins MacNeil, who was known for his works dealing with Indians and American memoirs, particularly on communal buildings and monuments.

MacNeil's facade projected skin a lasting, front spectacle of Liberty, a rendering reminiscent of obsolete Greek carving. Her left arm is upraised, bearing a buffer in a posture of protection. Being fraught from the protect by her right hand is the hangings, while the same hand offers up an emerald division. A sundry memo surely, but one that told our European neighbors we were ready for something, war or stillness. The inscription LIBERTY is at the top of the obverse, the time below, with the motto IN GOD WE TRUST closest the presume of Liberty.

The reversal of this typeface, as mandated by law, depicts an American eagle, here shown in rounded journey. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and motto E PLURIBUS UNUM are above, while the denomination QUARTER DOLLAR is below. The decisive effect seems to consider the induce of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who was the most famed sculptor of the time and, sometime former, a teacher for Mr. MacNeil.

The first coins came off the presses December 16, 1916, and the string nonstop through 1930, during which time over 226 million coins were struck at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mintmark), San Francisco (S), and Denver (D). The mintmark can be found just to the left of the meeting, while the designer's early M is to the right. No coins were struck in 1922, and no proofs were authorized, still several satin-finish proofs of 1916 and 1917 are reported to subsist.

There are two foremost subtypes of the Standing Liberty section, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 was issued for only two being, 1916-1917, as there was some trouble over Liberty's bared breast. In 1917, the fabricate was adapted, and the offending item was from then on covered with group post. Type 2, issued from 1917 through 1930, was substantially reworked, but the most evident changes were the repositioning of the stars on the setback along with the sequence dispatch on Miss Liberty mentioned past. Other, excluding evident changes included a smoothing of the fields and a pronounced curvature to the dies. Both Type 1 and Type 2 quarters were twisted by all three mints during 1917.

The obverse also underwent a minor change start with the penny of 1925, which some consider a subtype. The time was one of the elevated skin on previous coins so that it wore off too speedily. Circulating quarters of the 1917-24 stage are consequently scarce with legible dates. To remedy this maintain, the year section was recessed for all extend penny.

As one of our most lovely coin designs, the Standing Liberty billet is very current with collectors nowadays. The cycle is cool in its entirety by year and mint or as part of a 20th Century category set. Unlike many other string, it is still promising to perfect a done set in uncirculated prepare-a worthy treasure that very few people will have the pleasure of owning.

One of the key dates for the cycle is the problem square 1916. With a mintage of only 52,000 pieces, it has always been hunted by collectors. However, it does survive in superior figures than one would demand. As with any new goal, both collectors and the universal free saved plentiful examples. Original rolls, though pricey, were still presented as dead as the 1950s.

The rarest Standing Liberty housed is a Type 2 concern, the famous 1918/7-S overdate. Creating when two differently dated hubs were worn to prepare a solitary obverse die, the slip was not discovered by numismatists pending several days later, long after most of the coins had entered circulation. This coined is bloody in all grades, but especially so in the superior ranges of mint state. The mintage guessed for this interesting variety is nameless, but obviously miniscule. For days, one saw many otherwise full sets that lacked only the overdate. It's factually one of the most wanted aerial coins of the 20th Century.

Other excluding atypical but still challenging dates in high grade are 1920-S, 1926-S and the toughest court to find with an insincere struck precede on the Liberty presume, 1927-S. No coins in this string can actually be called common in gem proviso, but 1917 Type 1 and 1930 quarters grow in detailed-move gem uncirculated rider most frequently. Many other issues are periodically vacant in gem proviso, but not very regularly with a detailed move.

When grading this design, the points to inspect deftly on the obverse are Liberty's right knee and the pivot of the shield. On the transpose, the eagle's breast and left wing will first show erode. Coins graded "stuffed cranium" are much scarcer than those without this attribute copious struck, but this classification has more to do with the eminence of the effect than with grade. To modify for this designation, the coin must exhibit the following three skin: three leaves in Liberty's beard must be quite visible, the hairline along Liberty's crest must be complete and the ear indentation must be evident. Collectors will pay substantially more for these fully struck specimens.

Only in production for fifteen living, the Standing Liberty house was to endure an early demise. 1932 obvious the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth, and a new billet dough featuring his picture was introduced as a circulating commemorative. Though no longer made in silver for circulation, the Washington sector is still being minted today.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Diameter: 24.3 millimeters Weight: 6.25 grams Composition: .900 silver.100 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .18084 degree unmixed silver

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bowers, Q. David, United States Dimes, Quarters and Half Dollars, Bowers and Merena Galleries, Wolfeboro, NH, 1986. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I./Doubleday, New York, 1988. Cline, J.H., Standing Liberty Quarters, 3rd Edition, J.H. Cline, Palm Harbor, FL, 1997. Vermeule, Cornelius, Numismatic Art in America, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1971.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.

Barber Half Dollars 1892-1915 Coin

Telephone examined began between New York and Chicago. Also in Chicago, 30-year-old soap salesclerk William Wrigley ongoing selling chewing gum instead. The Coca-Cola Company was orderly in Atlanta, and the first pneumatic exhaust was sham.

The year was 1892, and new beginnings seemed to be the order of the day. That was the folder in United States penny, as well. Three new silver coins entered circulation that year. Sometimes identified as the Liberty Head half cash, area and dime, they're more regularly referred to by the name of their designer: U.S. Mint chief sculptor-engraver Charles E. Barber.

The fractional silver coins were long overdue for a facelift. All had conceded the Seated Liberty likeness for more than half a century, and while it's constant that life was more leisurely back then, the stride of change in this task was downright cool. The Mint had little incentive to change the designs of these coins. Only one of the three, the Seated Liberty dime, had been made in the before decade in something approaching average records. New half dollars and quarters were barely struck at all during the 1880s, because the central government had more than enough older coins (some dating back to the late 1840s) stashed away in its vaults to convince communal necessary.

The Mint was not oblivious to the need for new designs. In his yearly describe for 1887, Mint Director James P. Kimball pointedly referred to the "prevalent require for an improvement of the penny in reverence to the bestow designs." Not awaiting 1890 did the inventories of older halves and quarters finally decline to the meaning where habitual production seemed probable to resume, making the time more propitious for giving the silver coins a classify-new look.

In 1890, Kimball protected legal underpinning for the thought of ordinary object change. He prevailed winning Congress to elapse legislation specifying that from that meaning familiar, coin designs could be misused administratively after being in use for a minimum of 25 years. The half cash, lodge and dime were eligible at once, although, in item of detail, the Mint could have untouched them, any time it sought under the banner procedures it had followed in previous living.

The notion intrigued kimball of asset a partial competition to attain new designs for the silver currency. At his urging, in 1890 the Treasury invited ten outstanding artists to acquiesce proposed designs for the half money, sector and dime. Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the citizens's pre-imminent sculptor, headed the roll of invitees.

There's little suspect that the contest would have borne impressive fruit, but before it could instigate the artists got together and drafted a set of provisos lacking which, they insisted, they wouldn't compete. Among other effects, they demanded that each entrant get $100 for each sketch that he submitted and $500 for each complete kind. The Treasury crooked them down and instead conducted a contest open to one and all. This twisted some 300 entries, but nothing deemed usable on the change.

Chief Engraver Barber proved to be the winner in the end. Frustrated by the penniless municipal entries, the Mint crooked to Barber in 1891 to invent the coins, an assignment he had popular all along. Barber came up with akin face artwork for all three coins. It features a right-facing regulate of Liberty with her wool assured up in a cap, a laurel circlet resting along her hairline and a headdress demeanor the incused inscription LIBERTY over her crest. The designer's opening (B) is at the foot of the isthmus. On the half cash and quarter, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above this sketch, the court below and thirteen stars alongside.

The two larger coins also allocate an usual swap propose. It depicts a heraldic eagle with a defend on its breast, an emerald outlet clutched in its right talons and a bundle of arrows in its left talons. Inscriptions on this aspect embrace UNITED STATES OF AMERICA along the top border, the report of price along the floor and E PLURIBUS UNUM on a ribbon detained tightly in the eagle's beak. Thirteen stars are arrayed in the subject above the eagle.

All three Barber silver coins debuted in 1892, and all three had steady, unspectacular careers in the realm's coinage marshal. In the task of the Barber half money, annual production never exceeded six million pieces at any given mint; the highpoint came in 1899, when the major mint in Philadelphia made just a shade over 5.5 million. On the other hand, yearly yield never dropped below 100,000 coins at any one mint. The low point occurred in 1914, when just 124,610 half dollars were struck at Philadelphia. Besides the main mint, Barber halves also were created at the separate mints in New Orleans (O mintmark), San Francisco (S) and Denver (D), with the mintmark located below the eagle's tail. Scarce issues embrace 1892-O, 1892-S, 1893-S, 1896-S, 1901-S, 1904-S and the last three pieces from Philadelphia-1913, 1914 and 1915. However, there are no extremist rarities.

Proofs were bent every year, with mintages ranging from a high of 1,245 in the first year of flow to a low of 380 in 1914, the moment-to-last year of the string. In 1916, the Barber a new half dough replaced coin, the Walking Liberty typeface, and no resistant halves were issued.

Barber half dollars were struck for a compute of 24 existence and in 73 different year-and-mint combinations. Collectors do assemble court-and-mint sets, especially in circulated grades, but in mint chaos this coin is far more regularly calm by letters. Important records subsist in mint state levels up to MS-65, but above that the population is frail. When grading this sketch, the points on the obverse that will first show apparel are the cheek and the curls below LIBERTY; on the back, confirm the eagle's rule and the tips of the tail and wings.

The full yield of Barber half dollars for all 24 time was only about 136 million coins. That's minus than half the number of Kennedy halves struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1964 lonely, but then Barber halves were better money. Back in 1900, a half dough would have bought a man's shirt or two pairs of suspenders. Money indeed went farther in the "good old days!"

SPECIFICATIONS:

Diameter: 30.6 millimeters Weight: 12.50 grams Composition: .900 silver.100 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .36169 degree natural silver

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S.and Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York, 1988. Lawrence, David, The Complete Guide to Barber Halves, DLRC Press,Virginia Beach, VA, 1993. Taxay, Don, The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Arco Publishing Co.,New York, 1966. Vermeule, Cornelius, Numismatic Art in America, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1971. Yeoman, R.S., A Guide Book of United States Coins, 47th Edition, Western Publishing Co., Racine, WI, 1993.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.