Three-Cent Silvers (1851-1873)
Three Cent Silvers (1851-1873) A couple of circumstances led to the creation of Three Cent Silver in 1851. First, gold was discovered in Sutter’s Mill in California in 1848. The increased mining of gold affected US coinage as its value depressed compared to silver. As a result, silver coins were hoarded and melted since they […]
Shield Two Cent Piece (1864-1873)
Shield Two Cent Piece (1864-1873) Economic turmoil during the American Civil War caused the public to hoard coins leading them to vanish from circulation. To fill the gap, some entrepreneurs came up with bronze cent-sized private tokens. The use of such emergency pieces didn’t escape the notice of the US Mint. The Shield Two Cents […]
Lincoln Cents, Wheat Reverse
Lincoln Cents, Wheat Reverse (1909-1958) There was a tradition of not putting a portrait of an actual figure in US currency. That practice lasted for years until 1909, with the release of the Lincoln Cent on the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The idea of using a public figure on a US coin is nothing […]
Barber Quarter (1892-1916)
Barber Quarter (1892-1916) The 1890’s were a major period of transition for the United States of America. The country was rife with an economic depression and unions were attempting to find their role in the new industrial society. Major events and developments were unfolding in the areas of industry, art, music, culture, and politics. This […]
Gold Buffaloes and Gold High Reliefs
Gold Buffaloes and Gold High Reliefs One is made of 24-karat gold while the other looks like a medallion, but both are gold coins that have been produced in the US. The American Buffalo or gold buffalo has been produced each year since 2006 while the gold high reliefs have been minted twice: 2009 and […]
American Gold Eagle (1986-Date)
American Gold Eagle (1986-Date) Among the modern US Mint issues, the gold bullion is one of the most popular – especially American Gold Eagles. Although 1986 was the inaugural year, the sale of the coins did not start until October of the same year. Still, the annual total for that year was the highest on […]
American Silver Eagles (1986-Date)
American Silver Eagles (1986-Date) More than 200 million American Silver Eagles have been struck since the American Silver Eagle was first issued in 1986. As the year is considered the inauguration of the series, the Silver Eagles struck in 1986 remained popular with collectors. In this year, the US began striking silver and gold bullion […]
Draped Bust $10 (1795-1804)
Draped Bust $10 (1795-1804) During the 18th century, Americans were only familiar with the Spanish Coins when talking about the United States’ monetary systems after the Revolutionary War. In a bid to strike a balance between the old and new, the architects of the monetary system formulated a plan to do just that. This resulted […]
Indian Cent (1859-1909)
Indian Cents With its high relief design, the Flying Eagle cent was difficult to strike. Owing also to its unpopularity, Mint Engraver James B. Longacre was asked for redesigns and the eventual winner was the Indian Head obverse and laurel wreath reverse combination. It is said that Mint Director James Ross Snowden preferred the design, […]