The Great Depression resulted in a great disruption in the mintage of several American denominations

As we head further into what several predict will be hard times, there are many who look back to the Great Depression for a point of comparison. Something that I don't think all coin collectors think about though, is the impact that this event had on our grand hobby.

The penny is the big winner. It was produced, usually by 2 mints, every year through the early 1930s. This is most likely because the penny truely was the basic unit of our currency back then. The other denominations weren't so lucky.

No nickels or dimes were struck at any mint in 1932 or 1933. An entire series of quarters fell to the depression. The last standing liberties were struck in 1930. There would be no more quarters until 1932 with the introduction of the Washington quarter. Even then, the Denver and San Francisco mints produced less than 950,000 quarters between them, making the 1932-S and 1932-D the key dates of the series (worth thousands of dollars in mint state). Half dollars suffered a three year interruption from 1930 to 1932, and then in 1933 only the San Francisco mint made any. Dollars, ever unpopular, were not minted from 1929 to 1933.

Every one who does their numismatic history reading knows that no more gold coins were released to the public after 1932, except for a very limited number of eagles and double eagles. However, the quarter eagle and half eagle didn't make it that far. They weren't minted after 1929.

Fast forward to today. We're facing a new round of financial hard times. People are debating whether or not mintage of cents needs to be discontinued. Some want the nickel done away with to, and if you read our forums there are some who would even like the dime to get the axe too.

History doesn't repeat itself but it sure does rhyme. Last time we had a severe economic distruption, almost EVERY denomination skipped a beat; what will happen this time? Will 2010 be the cent and nickel equivalent of what 1932 was for the gold coins? I hope not. I love my pennies.