New Seated dime pattern

[BOILER78]

I have always liked Longacres Indian princess seated liberty design. The relief on the obverse is especially bold and almost medallic in appearance. The globe practically jumps off the planchet!

 

This J1085 is a recent addition to my pattern collection (image by mgoodm3 thanks Mark)

 

This design was used on half dimes through the dollar denomination and was struck in silver/copper and aluminum with and without obverse stars. Until recently I have always prefered the no stars designs but now I am not so sure? Here is my J1079 dime in aluminum for comparison.

 

 

Which do you prefer?

[Dwaine]

I like the first one the best.

[bsshog40]

Those are nice boiler!!

[harvey8542]

I would have to say that the first one is the best love the stars.

[kryptonitecomics]

You suck......

 

 

[TomB]

I'm generally a NS kind of guy, but the stars on the obverse appear to be hollow points and those look quite cool. Interstingly, LIBERTY is raised on the ribbon across the globe. A raised LIBERTY appears on only one other issued Seated Liberty coin, as far as I recall, and that is the twenty cent piece, which is one reason why folks have a hard time grading that issue. By the way, the pattern is cool!

[rrantique]

Both are super coins but i like the 1085 Best. Thanks for posting Mark.

[UScoinrunner88-migration]

When I first saw the two my eye immediately loved the aluminum, but after carefully inspecting both I love the copper one more. Reason being it has color and I like the stars.

 

BTW- YOU SUCK

[RUSS BEGA]

again all i can say is

[rbrown4]

Boiler,

 

Thanks for sharing those, they are both very interesting and definitely very nice in my book. The first one is my preference but with either I would not be pickey.

 

Rey

[RWB]

Interesting how poor the impression on the aluminum piece is compared to copper. This matches complaints from the engraving and coining departments about the difficulty of getting good experimental coins on aluminum alloys.

[IGWT]

Nice coins, Mark! The w/stars design appeals more to my aesthetic sensibilities.

 

Interesting how poor the impression on the aluminum piece is compared to copper. This matches complaints from the engraving and coining departments about the difficulty of getting good experimental coins on aluminum alloys.

 

RWB -- Congress authorized the 75/25 cupro-nickel coinage to redeem fractional currency following the Civil War with the intent that these base-metal "tokens" would serve as a temporary solution. Longacre advocated for the use of aluminum in returning to minor coinage with intrinsic value as early as 1867, in part because he liked its coining characteristics. So, Longacre's thoughts as expressed in his correspondence seem inconsistent with the "complaints from the engraving and coining departments" to which you refer. It's hard to believe that their complaints about aluminum exceeded their complaints about nickel.

 

I imagine that there's a host of reasons why the Mint never used aluminum for regular coinage, not the least of which was the political power wielded by Wharton that brought about the use of nickel (over initial Mint objections) in the first place. Does your research reveal when and why the Mint abandoned the idea of using aluminum as a metal of intrinsic value for minor coinage?

[MikeKing]

WOW!

DOUBLE WOW!

[RWB]

IGWT,

As a metal of intrinsic value, the last mention of Aluminum is, I think, in the 1860s. However, it popped up on just about every alloy test over the next 50-60 years – at least through early 1912 when it was initially stipulated as the alloy for a three cent piece. Every comment about aluminum from the mint staff from at least 1873 onward was negative – fuzzy impressions, clogged dies, brittle alloys, etc. The extensive tests of 1896 included some aluminum alloys, and the British Royal mint wrote a funny letter to the US mint explaining how aluminum coins deteriorated when carried next to the skin by East Africa natives.

 

The last mention I recall was in 1920 when there was a proposal for a Roosevelt three cent coin in aluminum.

 

Many of the later arguments in favor of CuNi were that the coins would be light colored and less susceptible to corrosion, especially in seaside areas where a lot of coin-operated machines were in use. Many thought dark bronze coins carried more germs than light colored coin. Both 1896 and 1911-12 tests focused on a new alloy for the cent. Mint staff determined that CuNi cents would cause a significant reduction in the seigniorage the mint earned, too.

 

[IGWT]

Thanks for the response!

 

[T]the British Royal mint wrote a funny letter to the US mint explaining how aluminum coins deteriorated when carried next to the skin by East Africa natives.

 

That small piece of correspondence nicely captures the contemporary British viewpoint that justified colonialization of Somalia, Sudan, and Tanzania in East Africa. The European colonialization of Africa in the late 19th century makes for an interesting numismatic study.

 

I'm suddenly feeling like I should be in the Tangents Forum.

[RWB]

Anyway - Bioler78's beautiful aluminum pattern probably would have come out better if the striking pressure had been reduced and a slow hydraulic squeeze used...but this was 1871....

[michael]

i like both but the aluminum one is the best because of the metal

 

with patterns gold and a close second aluminum are the best

 

along with no stars that does not cause the eye to distract from the longacre seated indian princess design one of the most beautifully designed patterns

 

 

[BOILER78]

Here is a slightly more "scientific" comparison of the stars vs no stars designs with the comparison coins struck in the same metal.

 

[rrantique]

Absolutely amazing coins I like both of those.

[RUSS BEGA]

Here is a slightly more "scientific" comparison of the stars vs no stars designs with the comparison coins struck in the same metal.

 

[Shortgapbob-migration]

They are both stunning pieces, but I like the copper one the best out of the pair. It has a great looking color.

[Becky-migration]

Wonderful!! Thanks for sharing.

[Fletcher]

WOW ... you dig up the best patterns. And, you know it takes a lot to make me say WOW!