RWB

RE: "Graded Date" You're really close...however, dates are graded first then "pitted" so people don't break their teeth biting them. That's also why there are no Date Newton cookie bars...only Fig Newtons. (Sir. Isaac broke a tooth on a date and thereby discovered pain.) Coins do not benefit from "pitting" because few people eat them. Now you may return to factual answers.

Spoons! They made silver commemorative spoons !

Is "WCD" a disease? Is there a vaccine? Just curious.....

It's the difference between sushi and California roll.

If they are all in NGC and PCGS slabs you should have little difficulty, although 1879-CC, 1884-S, 1889-CC and similar might bring more in PCGS - not that they are any better condition.

Here is the Feb 16, 1878 version from the Carbondale Daily News (Carbondale, Pennsylvania), Saturday Feb. 16, 1878 · Page 1. Here is a compete transcription of the above. The United States Mint. Items of Interest to Business Men and the People Generally. The two cent pieces were abolished five years ago. There are five time as many one cent pieces used as threes. Less than $10,000 of one cent piece were coined last year [1877]. No fives or threes (nickle [sic]) were coined last years for circulation. The old-fashioned silver doll has not been made for five years. The shipping of silver coins from the mint began about a year a ago. Silver is purchased at the min to a limited extent. It is paid for in gold. Nickle [sic] and bronze coin are only made in the United States mint in this city [Philadelphia]. The Easters, Middle, and Western States take most of the nickle [sic] and bronze coins. Double eagles are being made for the depositories because they are more salable. No silver is coined in subsidiary coin for depositors. The government coins for itself, alone. In the South the people are now using one cent pieces, and threes and fives very extensively. Five times as many five cent pieces as ones are sent away, and five times as many ones as threes. There is no coinage charged in gold. The only charge is for parting, refining, and toughening. No silver is exchanges for notes at the mint. This is done by transfers which come through Washington. Two weeks ago nearly $300,000 in gold dollars were made for the sub-treasury department of New York. There are lying in the depositories and vaults of the sub-treasury in this city nearly $300,000 in five cent nickle [sic] pieces. Five cent pieces are circulated considerably in New Orleans. Pennies were recently sent to that city, which were the first ever called for. The largest number of early orders for small coins came from the southeast. Recent orders are chiefly from this section of the country. A large amount of the $38,000,000 in small coins circulated within the year were manufactured during the same period, and consequently the coins are new. The government has issued over $38,000,000 of small silver coins since the redemption of fractional currency began, and the market is fairly glutted with them. The demand for one cent pieces has increased within the last three or four months, and the demand for fives has decreased. This is due to the issue of so many dimes. In brisk times the mint pays out from three to five thousand dollars a day for the accommodation of people making change and for shipment through the country. No Trade dollars have been made this year [1878]. Several millions were coined in 1877. Their coinage was suspended in December. They were only coined to a limited extent for circulation. Nickle [sic] and bronze are kept at par by redeeming them in greenbacks. They are deposited in the mint in sums of not less than twenty dollars, receipted for, and checks sent to the depositor. No silver five cent piece have been made for five years. In fact, they have been abolished as well as the silver three cent pieces. The nickle [sic] threes are still issued, although but few are used. Froj five to then thousand dollars of eagles, half eagles, and three dollar pieces are made every year in order to keep up the history of the coin. About $2,000 of ones are made for the same purpose. The mint shipped over the country in 1876 about $500,000 in small coins, consisting of one, three, and five cent pieces. They went chiefly West and East. In 1877, only about $386,000 in these small coins were shipped. The authorities at the mint can feel the pulse of business by the amount of coin sent in for redemption. If business is falling off the redemption is larger. When it is steady the redemption moves along at the rate of about $500 a day. The greatest demand for silver coins is for the half dollar. The quarter dollars is the second favorite ad the dime is the third and last in the list. The demand for half dollars is twice as great as for quarters, and five times more halves are required than dimes. When business is brisk in the city, about seven or eight hundred dollars a day in change is required for nickel and bronze. The railroad companies are demanding more than usual on account of the six-cent fares. This demand, however, has fallen off somewhat within the past few days. More Trade dollars were coined from April 1873, to December 1877, than there were of the dollar of the fathers for the eighty-one years proceding [sic]. The Trade dollar was intended for the China trade, and nearly all that have been coined have gone to China, Japan, and India. North American.

Agree. The newspaper gives no source for the information except "Mint Statistics." Yet it has a lot of very useful content that someone took the time to compile. The dime comment, and info on where certain denominations were in circulation is unusually informative. I checked the 1877-1879 Director's Reports but did not find anything relating to the clipping. The earliest dateline I found is Feb 9, and the article, in a longer form, is attributed to the Philadelphia North American newspaper.

...also....I can't find my car keys. Last time I had them was next to my cell phone -- which I can't find either. Maybe the OP can help.....? Opps....just remembered - my car doesn't have keys any more; and the cell phone is in my shirt pocket. Boy, that was quick work Mr. Woods!

When asking about coin albums, Mr. Lange is THE expert.

A newspaper filler from March 1878.

"Birth of a Nation" then one memorializing an attempt to destroy the nation. Pointless mules.

Clad coins are only sampled for weight, so under- and overweight coins are not unusual. The bulk coinage stock is supplied in large rolls so a manufacturing defect might go unnoticed at the mint.

Consistently out of focus. Possibly camera and coin not parallel. The Nikon photos have color fringing -- is something damaged?

This has continued far too long. Just went through 5 cycles of signing on, then being dropped almost immediately. This is a basic problem and has been such for several months.

Mike, feel free to ask any coin-related questions here on the NGC message boards. You will find collectors with a wide range of knowledge and sound information who are pleased to help others. Unfortunately, most of the "ancients" people find in family accumulations are fake. That is especially sad because not only do owners build hope of owning valuable coins, but once disclosed few owners of fakes take the time to understand the history behind originals. Failure to learn from the past is one of humankind's gravest mistakes.

Counterfeit. Search the web for "Tiberius denarius, replica" for hundreds of these things sold to people because of a supposed biblical connection.

All US master and proof coins (the same things) had mirror-like polished fields. SG and Pratt gold were the first ones to have a medal finish rather than a normal coin proof finish.

Very few sandblast proofs survive in undipped condition.

BU = Brilliant Uncirculated. Unspecified quality except that it has no evident circulation abrasion. MS = Mint State. Unspecified quality except that it has no evident circulation abrasion. These two mean the same thing, except a MS coin might have toning/tarnish. "Proof" refers to the manufacturing process and is NOT a grade or condition. Proof coins usually have mirror-like fields and unpolished or frosted relief. "Circulation strike" refers to coins made for normal use or standard presses and not given any special treatment. Much nonsense has been attached to these by adding meaningless modifiers and labels in attempts to sell more coins at inflated prices to clueless persons. Here are clear definitions from Heritage Auctions, Inc. Uncirculated (MS-60, 61, 62): An uncirculated coin with noticeable deficiencies, generally either an overabundance of bagmarks, a poor strike, or poor luster. Although most price guides will give a price for coins in MS-60 condition, in many cases this is a very unusual grade, with typical uncirculated pieces often grading somewhere in the MS-62 to MS-64 range depending on the series. Select Uncirculated (MS-63): An uncirculated coin with fewer deficiencies than coins in lower uncirculated grades. In general, this will be an uncirculated coin with relatively ordinary eye appeal. Select Uncirculated is sometimes used to refer to a coin grading MS-62. Choice Uncirculated (MS-64): An uncirculated coin with moderate distracting marks or deficiencies. These coins generally have average to above average eye appeal. Choice Uncirculated is sometimes used to refer to a coin grading MS-63. Gem Uncirculated (MS-65, 66): An uncirculated coin with only minor distracting marks or imperfections. At this point, mint luster is expected to be full, although toning is quite acceptable. Superb Gem Uncirculated (MS-67, 68, 69): An uncirculated coin with only the slightest distracting marks or imperfections. Toning is still quite acceptable and in these grades will usually be pleasing. Many circulating coins even of relatively recent dates are quite rare in such lofty grades, although modern bullion coins and commemoratives are often found in grades as high as MS-69. Perfect Uncirculated (MS-70): An utterly flawless coin.

Production is always greater than announced. This allows for damage, loss, return, declined payment and fulfillment problems, plus the Mint has internal review and audit uses for some. It can take several weeks to reconcile fulfillment with inventory, hence, the extras now are available. Note that the US Mint does not resell coins that are returned unless they are perfect and in unopened capsules.

Lots of clearing and debris sorting/removal. Areas nearby will have a different kind of community and business stress.

All the field (high on die) would have to be crushed first. The coin does not show that having happened.

Once NARA gets back to business, I'll see if the 1921-S Cashier's reports are available. The things are a wealth of detailed information about what was produced and in stock.

During holiday season-- December through the first week of January -- there was large demand for bright, new coins, and $1, $2.50, $3 and $5 gold for gifts and just for overall "brightness" of the season. Holiday gold largely was paid back into Treasury by mid-January to mid-February. The silver tended to stay in circulation. Up to about WW-I in the US, New Year was the real gift-giving time, and Christmas was family, feast, and faith time. Advertising changed all that, so Christmas is about greed and New Year is the party that the Solstice used to be.

From the earliest usage in British and French mints, and by Boulton's Soho Mint and others. The first generally accepted US examples are dated 1818. SG proofs were either satin or sandblast - but collectors really did not like either and wanted mirror-polished fields.