Cross appears on commemoratives

The York County, Maine, 1936 commemorative half dollar (top left), 1934 Maryland commemorative half (top right), and Shield nickel (bottom) are the only United States coins that clearly show a cross in the design.

Is there any U.S. coin that carries a cross as part of the design?

Despite the fact that the word “God” appears on all our relatively recent coins, the only two U.S. coins that clearly show a cross in the design are the York County, Maine, 1936 commemorative half dollar, which shows the county seal – a shield quartered by a large cross – and the 1934 Maryland commemorative half, which has two crosses in the reverse design. There is also a cross on the Shield nickels, the only intended circulation strike.

Was there a standard number of Susan B. Anthony dollars in a roll?

I know of at least three standards. They included the old 20 dollar coins to a roll figure used for the Morgan, Peace and Ike dollars, 25 to a roll, and some banks even wrapped them 40 to a roll, just like the quarters.

Are there regulations for the color of coin wrappers?

The American Bankers Association standards are red for cents, blue for nickels, green for dimes, orange for quarters, beige for halves and gray for dollars. The Treasury wanted to put SBAs in pink, but the ABA rejected it.

What does “roll friction” mean?

Michael Fuljenz describes it as “a shiny discoloration” and goes on to identify it as occurring on Ben Franklin’s cheek on the half dollar, starting just behind the nose and running up to the sideburns. The apparent cause is friction between coins as they move about inside a paper roll as it is handled. It is also found on Walking Liberty halves, the Standing Liberty quarters and the Saint-Gaudens $20 gold.

I see proof rolls offered by dealers for sale. Can I order rolls of proof coins from the Mint?

Dealer rolls are made by breaking open the regular sets and assembling enough coins to make a roll. The Mint sells proof coins only in sets or as special individually offered pieces.

Are there any standards for the number of coins in a roll?

I think more tradition than standard. The usual rolls of coins number 50 cents or dimes, 40 nickels or quarters, and 20 halves or dollars. In my wrapper collection, I have some off-brand varieties for such amounts as 20 nickels or quarters

Is there such a thing as a Mint-wrapped roll of coins?

The U.S. Mint at one time did wrap coins for regular release. I have seen photos of wrappers labeled “U.S. Mint.” Modern collectors probably think there are too many Mint-wrapped rolls of quarters, halves and dollars currently being sold directly to them.

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