UNITED STATES THREE CENTS
(1851-1889)
The United States Three Cents is an unusual
denomination that first appeared in 1851, although pattern coins for the
denomination were produced in 1849 and 1850. The original purpose of the
Three Cents coins to provide an intermediate denomination between the Cent
and Half Dime, making it easier to change some of the odd foreign coins that
were legal tender in America at that time. In 1851, postal rates were
dropped from five to three cents. While three Large Cents could have been
used to purchase a postage stamp, the bulky copper coins were expensive to
produce. Thus, a coin of three cents value had two purposes, enough to get
the denomination started in 1851.
The images at right show the two major design types that appeared on U.S.
Three Cents.
The first Three Cents were made of a low-grade silver. These tiny coins were
known officially as "Trimes" and unofficially as "fish scales." They were
the first circulating U.S. coin without a depiction of Miss Liberty in some
form or other. In 1854, the percentage of silver in the coins was increased
to 90%, to match that of the other silver coins in production at the time.
Three sub-types exist of the silver Three Cents. Type 1, issued from 1851 to
1853, shows the obverse star with a single outline. After 1853, the weight
of the Three Cents coin was reduced. To indicate this change, two extra
outlines were added to the star, resulting in the Type 2 version that lasted
until 1858. In 1859, one of the extra outlines was dropped, creating the
third and final sub-type, the Type 3 version.
Most dates in the silver Three-Cents series are common, although mintages of
most dates from 1863 to 1873 are very low. In 1873, only Proof examples were
struck. All silver Three Cents were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with the
exception of the 1851-O Trime. Interesting varieties in the series include:
1851, the second 1 over an inverted 2
1862, 2 over 1
1863, 3 over 2
1869, 9 over 8
In 1865, a "Nickel" Three Cents was introduced (the predominant metal in the
coin was actually copper, but because the color was more whitish than brown,
"nickel" was considered a better descriptor). These were minted side-by-side
with the silver versions until 1873, when the silver type was discontinued.
The nickel versions were minted until 1889, when the entire denomination was
discontinued.
Several of the Nickel Three Cents were struck only as Proofs (1877, 1878,
and 1886); other dates (such as 1884 and 1885) are represented by very few
circulation strikes. Interesting varieties include:
1873 Open 3
1873 Closed 3
1887/6 Overdate |
|
UNITED STATES HALF DIMES OR FIVE-CENTS SILVER
(1794-1873)
It may be long forgotten by the general public, but
the United States coinage system commenced with a silver 5-cent coin rather
than that of nickel composition in use today.
The half dime was one of the original denominations introduced almost as
soon as the United States coinage system began. The half disme of 1792 was a
pattern designed by Thomas Birch. Birch is also remembered for his
experimental Birch Cent, a coin perhaps better identified with Birch because
it bears his name.
An examination of the obverse designs of the Birch cent and half disme shows
the similarities in iconography, although the personification of Liberty
faces left on the half disme and right on the cent.1
The design adopted for the denomination introduced more formerly in 1794 is
similar to that of other contemporary silver coin denominations.
The half dime denomination was authorized April 2, 1792, by Congress, making
it one of the initial denominations authorized for currency in the United
States. The 1792 pattern issue is also known as the Martha Washington half
disme. According to some sources, it may be Martha Washington, the wife of
our first president, who was the model for the Birch 1792 half disme.2
It is generally accepted that U.S. coinage began in 1793, with the half dime
denomination being produced beginning in the following year. There is,
however, some evidence the 1792 half disme was meant to be the first regular
issue U.S. circulation coin.
In the annual address given by Washington on Nov. 6, 1792, the president
included the statement, "There has been a small beginning in the coinage of
half dimes, the want of small coins in circulation calling the first
attention to them."3
According to an entry for Lot No. 550 in the Feb. 8-10, 1999 Superior Stamp
and Coin auction catalog, "The majority of today’s collectors would tend to
assign it [1792 half disme] to the regular issue pieces and for that reason
any 1792 half disme draws lots of bidding attention."
The denomination was traditionally accepted to begin for circulation
purposes in 1794 although the Superior comments may be evidence of a change
in tastes to the contrary. The Flowing Hair style coin designed by Robert
Scot rather than the design initiated by Birch appears on the new
denomination. The Scot design was deliberately used on all silver
denominations of the time in an attempt to standardize their appearance.
This concept of identical designs for identical metal composition coins was
used throughout most of the 19th century on circulation American coins.4
The bust of the personification of Liberty faces right on the obverse with
hair flowing. There are eight stars behind her and seven to her right. The
"small" eagle, a rather malnourished appearing bird, is shown to be perched
on a cloud on the reverse.5
The Flowing Hair design was only struck in 1794 and 1795. The reasoning
behind why the design was changed so quickly to that of the Draped Bust,
Small Eagle (also by Scot) beginning in 1796 appears to have been lost.
Breen observes in his Encyclopedia that "for uncertain reasons, the Birch
design used on the 1792 Half Disme was abandoned in favor of the Flowing
Hair design found on the dollar, half dollar, and copper coins of 1794."
The design used on the half dime coins of 1796 and 1797 followed suggestions
made by artist Gilbert Stuart, the man whose painting of Washington is the
model for the vignette on the current dollar bill.6
The Draped Bust, Small Eagle design also proved to be a two-year type
design. The Small Eagle reverse was continued in 1797, then no half dime
denomination coins were struck again until 1800. When production of the coin
resumed the denomination was still produced of .8924 fine silver with a
weight of 20.8 grains, however the Great Seal of the United States (better
known to collectors as the Large Eagle) was now used for the reverse design.
This time the denomination was struck annually through 1805. Production then
ceased until 1829.7
The 1802 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle half dime is one of the classic
rarities in the U.S. coinage series. Mint records indicate 13,010 pieces
were struck, however these may be fiscal rather than calendar year records.
Far fewer specimens, perhaps 16, are known today. The detailed pedigree
history of the 16 known specimens known through 1980 appears in The History
of United States Coinage as Illustrated by the Garrett Collection by Q.
David Bowers.
The William Kneass design adopted from a design by Robert Reich introduced
on the 1829 half dime is known as the Capped Bust design. The denomination
appears on the coin for the first time, being expressed in abbreviated form
as five cents.
According to Breen, the appearance of the denomination on the coin put the
by now antiquated term "half disme" to rest in favor of 5-cent coin or half
dime.8
An eagle with a shield appears on the reverse beginning in 1829. The design
was continued through 1837, then replaced with the Christian Gobrecht design
of Seated Liberty with the denomination expressed with the words "half dime"
appearing on the reverse for the first time during that year.9
Both the Capped Bust and Seated Liberty designs were used for half dimes
struck during 1837. The Act of Jan. 18, 1837 authorized the new Seated
Liberty design and also authorized a coin of the slightly lower weight of
20.625 grains struck of .900 fine silver. The diameter remained at 15.5
millimeters.10
Stars and drapery were added to the design elements beginning in 1840,
however this was not an indication of any further changes in weight or metal
purity for the half dime. The Seated Liberty design would continue with some
further minor design modifications through the end of the production of the
denomination in favor of the nickel composition 5-cent coin of today in
1873. The nickel composition coin was introduced and circulated
simultaneously with the half dime beginning in 1866 following the end of the
Civil War.
Beginning in 1838 for the first time the half dime was also struck at a U.S.
branch Mint. Coins are available with an "O" Mint mark for the facility at
New Orleans. The denomination was also struck at San Francisco beginning in
1863. Coins from this Mint carry the "S" Mint mark. Mint marks can be found
either within or below the wreath on the reverse.11
Seated Liberty half dimes of 1853 to 1855 display arrow heads at the date to
indicate the coins were struck of the reduced weight of 1.24 grams (or 19.2
grains. Earlier half dimes have a weight of 1.34 grams.) of .900 fine
silver. The arrow heads were dropped as a design element beginning in 1856
although no further weight change took place in the denomination.
Collectors should be aware that the drop in the silver content weight of the
coin caused the public to hoard the earlier issues. This was true of all
silver content denomination coins for which the weight was reduced.12 As a
result the Mint produced larger quantities of the coins with arrows at the
date to replace the heavier coins quickly vanishing from circulation.
A mystery to which recent attention has been drawn is the discovery of a
raised dot appearing below the date 1853 on some half dimes of this date
with arrows. Several speculative reasons for the appearance of the dot have
been given, but at the time this article is being written there are more
questions than answers surrounding the dot.13
Mint Director James Ross Snowden’s plan to transfer the legend "United
States of America" from the reverse to the obverse of the coin resulted in
what may be the strangest coins in U.S. coinage history in 1859 and 1860,
rare varieties on which the name of the country is not displayed at all due
to the muling of specific obverse and reverse dies during this transition.
The Seated Liberty half dime design was modified several times, notably in
1856, 1859 and 1860, however the basic design type did not change again
until the demise of the denomination at the hands of congressional
legislation that revamped our coinage system in 1873.
Perhaps the greatest design change during this final period of the half dime
is the so-called "Cereal Wreath" reverse change of 1860 in which Mint
designer James B. Longacre made modifications to the wreath surrounding the
denomination.14
Several things of importance should be noted about the later Seated Liberty
half dimes. Proof coins began to be struck in significant numbers at
Philadelphia beginning in 1860, often using the same dies as used to make
business strikes.15
The New Orleans Mint, which began striking half dimes with Mint marks in
1838, ceased production of this denomination and all other U.S. coins
quickly after hostilities began during the Civil War and this Mint facility
fell into Confederate hands.
The San Francisco Mint facility began striking half dimes with an "S" Mint
mark beginning in 1863. Half dimes between 1863 and 1870 all have low
mintages.
The 1870-S Seated Liberty half dime, known from a single example, is one of
the great mysteries of U.S. coinage. Six pair of obverse and reverse dies
were shipped to the San Francisco Mint, according to Mint records, however
this single coin is known today.
The year 1873, as alluded to earlier in this article, was the final year for
the half dime. Congress moved to revamp the entire coinage system, doing
away with several denominations while paving the way for the nickel
composition 5-cents coin to replace the half dime once and for all. |
|
UNITED STATES
FIVE-CENTS - NICKEL
(1866-DATE)
The coin known popularly as the “Nickel,” first appeared in 1866. The
term “Nickel” refers to the main component of the alloy used to strike the
coin and was meant to differentiate the new coin from another of the same
denomination that circulated at the same time -- the Half Dime made of
silver. Despite the fact that other coins were (and are still being) made
primarily of Nickel, the term stuck in reference to the Five Cents piece
Today, everyone knows that a Nickel is worth Five Cents. On the other hand,
if you asked most people in the general public to name the metal used to
make a Nickel, they could not or they would come up with something other
than the obvious answer!
Nickel is a very hard metal that created considerable problems for the
coiners. Die life shortened as the dies broke and cracked against the
stubborn metal. One result was that, in 1867, the coiner resisted making
Proof “Nickels” for fear of breaking the dies (this resistance was later
overcome). Eventually, adjustments were made and Nickel became and integral
and important part of our coinage.
The first “Nickels” were the Shield Nickels minted from 1866 to 1883.
Rarities in this series include the 1866 Proof and the 1867 “With Rays”
Proofs. Numerous, interesting varieties exist, including 1879/8 and 1883/2
overdates. Only Proof versions of the Nickel were made in 1878 and 1879.
In 1883, the Liberty Nickel was introduced. The earliest versions were
produced without the words “Five Cents” on the reverse. Enterprising
individuals took advantage of this omission by gold-plating the coins,
reeding the edges, and passing the coins off as some new $5 Half Eagle. The
Mint quickly remedied the situation by adding “Five Cents” to the back of
the coin later in 1883. Key dates in the “Liberty Nickel” series include the
1885, 1886, and 1912-S. A mere five 1913 Liberty Nickels are known, but
these are believed to have been produced clandestinely at the Mint.
In 1913, the “Buffalo” or “Indian Head” Nickel was introduced. The purely
American design featured the head of an Indian Chief on the obverse and an
American bison on the reverse. The earliest versions had the words “FIVE
CENTS” on a raised mound at the base of the reverse. Mint officials feared
that the words would wear off the coin too easily, so the later versions of
the 1913 Nickel have the words “Five Cents” in a recessed area. Key dates in
the series include 1913-S Type 2, the 1914/3 overdate, the 1918/7-D overdate
and the 1937-D “Three Legged.”
A new Nickel, designed by Felix Schlag, appeared in 1938. This was the third
coin to feature an American president, Thomas Jefferson (coincidentally, the
third American president). In 1943, demand for Nickel as a strategic metal
in World War II, forced the Mint to return to a silver-based composition for
the “Nickel,” an emergency measure that lasted through 1945. All of the
dates in this series are easily obtained with the exception of the “S”-less
Nickel produced in 1971.
|
|
UNITED STATES TEN
CENTS OR DIME
(1796-DATE)
Click on any the images or
links at right to learn more about the different design types.
The first United States
Dimes appeared in 1796 but gave no indication as to their face value! The
first type (Draped Bust) featured a buxom Miss Liberty with her long tresses
neatly tied up in a bow. The back of the coin showed a somewhat scrawny
eagle with wings outstretched standing on a bed of clouds, all surrounded by
a wreath. In 1798, the reverse design changed and mimicked the Great Seal
of the United States, thereafter showing an eagle with outstretched wings
and a shield on its breast, clouds and stars above. This design lasted
until 1807.
Any confusion as to the
value of this denomination ceased in 1809, when "10 C" was added to the base
of the reverse. The new design showed Liberty facing left, with a Liberty
cap on her head. On the back of the coin, the eagle struck a more natural
pose, but still bore a shield on its breast. Production of this type was
sporadic in the early years, but from 1820 to 1837 (when the design ended)
every year is represented.
In 1837, the Seated Liberty
design debuted. Here, Liberty sits upon a rock wearing a long dress and
holding a staff with a Liberty Cap perched atop. Her other hand balances a
shield. The earliest versions bore no stars on the obverse...in 1840,
thirteen stars were added to the front of the coin...in 1860, the legend
"UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" replaced the stars. The back of the coin also
went through some changes during its life. The earliest versions showed the
words "ONE DIME" within a plain wreath...in 1860, the wreath became larger
and more ornate. From 1853 to 1855 and again from 1873 to 1874, arrowheads
were placed on either side of the date to indicate changes in the weights of
the coins. This design ended in 1891.
The Barber type (named after
its designer, Charles Barber) appeared from 1892 to 1916. This type boasts
one of the classic American rarities, the 1894-S Dime.
The so-called "Mercury Head"
type ran from 1916 to 1945. The head is actually a depiction of Liberty
wearing a cap with small wings at the ears, evocative of the god Mercury.
The reverse features a fasces (a battle ax surrounded by a bundle of
staffs)...a design element later made infamous by the Fascists of Italy.
In 1946, the U.S.
memorialized President Franklin Delano Roosevelt by creating a Dime in his
honor, a design that has remained until today. 1964 was the last year in
which 90% silver Dimes were produced...thereafter, Dimes were made of a
"clad" composition consisting of alloys of Copper and Nickel over a pure
copper center. |
Draped Bust (1796-1807)
 
Capped Bust (1809-1837)
Seated Liberty (1837-1891)
Barber (1892-1916)
Mercury Head (1916-1945)
Roosevelt (1946-Date) |
