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Letters to the Editor
- This week's letters (06/04/13) When we embarked on this journey with our Uncle George Walton’s 1913 Liberty Head Nickel 10 years ago, we had no idea what we would be install for. What an experience it has been!
War nickels loophole in melting ban
From 1965 to 1967 it was illegal to melt any of the 90 percent silver coins but the lawmakers ignored the war nickels, apparently assuming that their 35 percent silver wasn’t worth bothering with. The smelters took advantage of this loophole and melted millions of them, right along with a lot of 90 percent silver that was claimed to be from Canadian coins. Continue reading
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1873 melt wiped out 3-cent supply
According to Harry X Boosel, in 1873 the U.S. Mint ordered the melting of any old standard coins then on hand. The branch mints began melting them down in April, including unsold proofs and business strikes. The main mint at Philadelphia began its melts in July of that year. Included in the melt there were virtually all of the silver 3-cent pieces struck from 1863 through 1872. Continue reading
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Eagle a real denomination
The Act of April 2, 1792, established standards for the eagle, half eagle and quarter eagle denominations. The Act of March 3, 1849, authorized the double eagle. The gold dollar, 3-dollar and 50- dollar coins were never officially named other than their denomination. Continue reading
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Morgan $1 legend placement illegal
The Coinage Act of 1873 specified that the legend, E PLURIBUS UNUM, be on the reverse of all coins struck after that date. On the Morgan dollar, it appears on the obverse above the head. The same problem occurred with the design of the Liberty Head, or “V,” nickel. Continue reading
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Anthony dollars promoted by many
Didn’t the post offices and the Army get involved in trying to make the Susan B. Anthony dollars circulate? Continue reading
Nickel find a genuine double strike
Is this nickel a legitimate Mint product? All indications are that it is indeed a Mint product, double struck, once in the collar and the second time offset toward 6 o’clock. Continue reading
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Dollars in 1962 display totaled 1 million
A total of 1 million silver dollars were displayed. A Nebraska corn crib manufacturer, Behlen Manufacturing Co., filled a crib with the coins. There were 800,000 bagged Morgans dated 1904 and earlier, and 200,000 Peace dollars, weighing 30 tons. Continue reading
Key area on 1864 cent is hair ribbon
Just as the Buffalo nickels have their horns as a grading indicator, the Indian Head cents were often graded by the number of diamonds showing on the Indian’s headdress. There are four diamonds on the hair ribbon, which happens to be the first point to show wear. Continue reading
1818 piece fantasy strike, not mule
Somewhere I read something about an 1818 quarter that had a large cent reverse. Was this a mule? Continue reading
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Gold $5 prop in WWI Houdini act
One source that we found says that in a World War I version of the USO tours, Houdini entertained American troops by filling a fishbowl with half dollars and then going into the audience and pulling gold half eagles out of the ears and hair of his audience. He would cap this by tossing a coin to some lucky soldier. Continue reading
