Question: Twenty Cents Piece

[A.Phillips]

I think it is pretty interesting history about twenty cents piece, but the articles are very brief. It doesn't providing an enough information. So I am sure most of you are familiar with those information. I will make it shorts. The several reasons that twenty cents piece is discontinued:

 

1) I can see that people in 1875 were confused with twenty cents and quarter because twenty cents piece is only about 2 mm smaller in diameter than a quarter.

 

2) It's difficulty in making a change (if an item costs 35 cents).

 

3) The quarter and nickel were existed before 1875.

 

Several more reasons I couldn't remember to add. However, my point is if we have a quarter, and no twenty cents, why does the government already issued notes of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100, but no $25 bill? I am wondering about that.

 

PS: Sorry about bad grammar again.

 

Alan

[mkman123]

I'm sure RWB will chime in soon! I think 3 centers were odd too and probably confused a lot of people

[DaveG]

The denominations of our currency and our coins really don't have that much to do with each other.

 

We have a quarter, mostly, because when the coin denominations were established in the late 18th century, people were used to the Piece of Eight (the Spanish colonial dollar), which was worth 8 reales. The piece of eight was subdivided into 4 reales, two reales, one real and a half real.

 

The denominations of US currency came along in the 1860s (but state-bank issued currency was introduced earlier) and its denominations were mostly determined by efficiency - that is, which denominations were the easiest to use in commerce.

[CSdot]

The only problem I have with the twenty cent piece is that it seems as if 90% of the coins minted in that series, the entire series, were minted during 1875 at the San Fransisco Mint.

[JIM F.]

Like the SBA dollar confused with the Wash quarter. About same size, same color, and SBA does look remarkably like George Washington!

 

[RWB]

There are a couple of good new books on the twenty cent coin. Check Wizard or other book sellers - they might be worth buying to help answer your questions.

[yonico]

I think it is pretty interesting history about twenty cents piece, but the articles are very brief. It doesn't providing an enough information. So I am sure most of you are familiar with those information. I will make it shorts. The several reasons that twenty cents piece is discontinued:

 

1) I can see that people in 1875 were confused with twenty cents and quarter because twenty cents piece is only about 2 mm smaller in diameter than a quarter.

 

2) It's difficulty in making a change (if an item costs 35 cents).

 

3) The quarter and nickel were existed before 1875.

 

Several more reasons I couldn't remember to add. However, my point is if we have a quarter, and no twenty cents, why does the government already issued notes of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100, but no $25 bill? I am wondering about that.

 

PS: Sorry about bad grammar again.

 

Alan

 

Interesting!

 

I know it's not YOUR article, but I'm not understanding the reasons you posted as to why they were discontinued (except for maybe reason #1)..

 

Difficulty in making change - if an item costs 35 cent: what's the difference (change-wise) between paying with 2 quarters and paying with 2 20c pieces, when buying a 35 cent item? How is it more difficult? Especially when 5c and 10c coins were in use already, is it not easier to give back 5c in change rather than a 10c AND a 5c?

 

And #3, nickels existed already before 1875 - so what? What does it have to do with making a 20c coin?

And quarters existed - so..? They couldn't have both?

Did the mint not make both and 3c coins for 10 years?

Yes, they were similar in size. Why not just change the size, if anything..?

 

I'm just curious , that's all..

 

Interesting thread!

[A.Phillips]

There are a couple of good new books on the twenty cent coin. Check Wizard or other book sellers - they might be worth buying to help answer your questions.

 

Which book do you bought? I bought The Comprehensive Catalogue and Encyclopedia of U.S. Morgan and Peace Silver Dollars by VAM for $40 (used) from Amazon. I can see that the price, $19.50, on dust cover. $40 was the lowest price I can find on Amazon, I don't want to spent that much money on a book that is not even a first edition or a rare book.

 

Interesting!

 

I know it's not YOUR article, but I'm not understanding the reasons you posted as to why they were discontinued (except for maybe reason #1)..

 

Difficulty in making change - if an item costs 35 cent: what's the difference (change-wise) between paying with 2 quarters and paying with 2 20c pieces, when buying a 35 cent item? How is it more difficult? Especially when 5c and 10c coins were in use already, is it not easier to give back 5c in change rather than a 10c AND a 5c?

 

And #3, nickels existed already before 1875 - so what? What does it have to do with making a 20c coin?

And quarters existed - so..? They couldn't have both?

Did the mint not make both and 3c coins for 10 years?

Yes, they were similar in size. Why not just change the size, if anything..?

 

I'm just curious , that's all..

 

Interesting thread!

 

These lists were not my opinion, I get that from several different articles such as wiki, NGC coin facts, etc. The #1 sounds reasonable, but still don't make any sense because as you mention, "Why not just change the size, if anything..?" You have a better questions than I do. I couldn't translating the questions from American Sign Language in my mind into writing or typing in proper English.

 

The denominations of our currency and our coins really don't have that much to do with each other.

 

We have a quarter, mostly, because when the coin denominations were established in the late 18th century, people were used to the Piece of Eight (the Spanish colonial dollar), which was worth 8 reales. The piece of eight was subdivided into 4 reales, two reales, one real and a half real.

 

The denominations of US currency came along in the 1860s (but state-bank issued currency was introduced earlier) and its denominations were mostly determined by efficiency - that is, which denominations were the easiest to use in commerce.

 

So twenty cents piece was not efficiency as in Mexico or Spanish colonial? But as what yonico said, "if an item costs 35 cent: what's the difference (change-wise) between paying with 2 quarters and paying with 2 20c pieces, when buying a 35 cent item? How is it more difficult? Especially when 5c and 10c coins were in use already, is it not easier to give back 5c in change rather than a 10c AND a 5c?"

 

 

Thank you for your patient with me.

[DaveG]

A.Phillips,

 

1. It's not that the quarter was more or less efficient than a 20 cent piece, it's that people were familiar with the quarter from Spanish colonial coinage - that's why the US introduced the quarter back in the 1790s. Currency was different, as one could print any denomination one wanted on a piece of paper, so currency issuers could print more efficient denominations.

 

2. Making change in the 19th century - depending on what part of the country one was in - was no simple task. Most people in rural areas weren't paid in cash, so they rarely saw coins. Also, in the West, the smallest coin that was in normal circulation in the later 19th century was the dime, not the five-cent piece. So, having a 20 cent piece, it was argued, would make it easier to make change.