Community Voice Responses (Nov. 3, 2015)

From the Oct. 11 Numismatic News E-Newsletter:

Have Morgan dollars replaced Lincoln cents as the bedrock of popular numismatics?

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor Dave Harper.

My answer to your question is yes. With the new composition of the cent and its tendency to corrode I believe that the cent has lost its luster for collectors. Like the 1943 steel cents, in a few years after issue, the new copper clad zinc cents will do the same. I for one, think it is past time for the cent to take a bow and leave the stage for good. For me, the only coin I now collect is Morgan dollars with a strong interest in the Carson City Mint issues.

John T. Tinney
Volcano, Calif.

Don’t think the Morgan will replace the Lincoln cent, but it may by a narrow margin.

William Johnston
San Antonio, Texas

Yes, for adults and more experienced numismatists of all ages, the Morgan silver dollar has supplanted the one-cent coin as the bedrock of popular numismatics. For children and beginners there is much benefit from collecting series to be found from pocket change. There are no shortages of possibilities from cents to quarters. Nickels being an attractive option since one finds 1964 and earlier examples in circulation more frequently than any other denomination, at least in my experience.

Timothy Scharr
Aviston, Ill.

Both series, Morgans and Lincolns, have much to offer the collector. Both are big sets with many different dates, mintmarks, varieties. There are beautiful proofs. Lincolns have a few metal and design changes. But what gives Morgans the edge is their larger size, their 90 percent silver composition and the historical aspects. There were a few years of Carson City dollars. And remember the Treasury release in the 1970s? Perhaps older collectors remember looking for scarce Lincolns in change. But some collectors may recall looking through boxes of common dates looking for coins they needed. When I go to a major convention, I see hundreds of Morgan $1s of many dates, mintmarks, conditions, slabbed and raw ... many more Morgan $1s than any other series. Large coins made of precious metal are the favorites now.

Ginger Rapsus
Chicago

It depends on who you ask. Maybe yes, maybe no. How’s that for equivocating?

Harv Laser
California

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