Overdates and mintages
Shown is an 1823 10C Large Es is NGC graded MS66 from the Joseph C. Thomas Collection. (Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.)
The mintage for the 1823/22 dime is listed at 440,000 for both overdates, but the mintage for 1822 is only 100,000. How can an overdate have a larger mintage than the total for the date?
The 1823/22 dimes are from different dies than those used to strike the 1822 dimes, so there is no connection between the two mintage figures. They are considered to be 1823 coins, not 1822, as the 1823 is on top of the 22.
When was the 1880/79-CC dollar variety first reported?
If my records are correct, it was first brought to public attention in 1965. There are several different dies with overdates for this date and mint. Veteran dealer Harry Forman reportedly discovered the overdate in 1964. Since then, several dies for the date have been identified as overdates.
Are there any U.S. dies that were used in one year to strike coins and then repunched to use them in a subsequent year, producing an overdate?
Our sources list four such dies. In 1806, single dies for the quarter, half dollar and quarter eagle were retained from 1805 production and were repunched or recut for use in 1806, giving us the three overdates for that year. The usage was blamed on a critical shortage of die steel.
When were the 1922 no-mintmark cents first reported?
In The Numismatist, March 1928. No “S” in Washington Commem. Date
I have several George Washington commemorative halves with an “S” rather than an “8” in date. Has this been reported?
At the time of issue lots of collectors thought they had a rare coin. The cause is abrasion of the uncirculated strike dies and polishing of the proof dies. The heavier the abrasion, the more the “8” looked like an “S.” Since the number of such coins is very high, they have no special collector value.
What would be the possibility of getting the Mint to issue a “starter set” of current cents, each with the mintmark of the different mints?
This has been suggested in the past without success since Philadelphia, San Francisco and West Point have been at one time or another striking circulation cents without mintmarks. Who knows, maybe this time it will find a receptive ear.
Do you have any idea how many of the 1979-S and 1981-S proof coins were struck with the Variety II mintmarks?
Official U.S. Mint mintage estimates for the Variety II “S” mintmark proof coins for 1979 and 1981, respectively, are:
Cent 829,000 - 599,000
Nickel 668,000 -498,000
Dime 737,000 - 623,000
Quarter 624,000 - 922,000
Half Dollar 428,000 - 314,000
Dollar 425,000 - 330,000
No valid estimates of the total number of sets with all six Variety II mintmarks are available.
This article was originally printed in Numismatic News Express. >> Subscribe today
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