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 Replies: 10 / Views: 2,093 |
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New Member
United States
29 Posts |
If you've read my posts, you will understand my last 2 months. Now that I've literally wrapped up my last few rolls of modern coins, 1974 is a stand out amongst all denominations.
Is it a factor of mintage, or an obsession of the early decade? Historically, 1973-74 was the first 70's inflationary hit following Nixon's trashing of Bretton Woods?
Any insights?
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
10743 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Good question. 1974 was big by comparison to previous years, but not compared to those which followed.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
937 Posts |
 Digs through cobwebs in memory....now what was it about cents in 1974? something about aluminium.... There was alot of misinformation going abouot that the copper cent would not be minted after 1974. People were keeping the cents thinking they would be worth money. Add to that the bi-cen-rip-em-off was coming so everything was 200 years from some vote or battle or event that changed the world...... Sorry cut my collecting teeth durring this period and has left a bad taste, so I best stop here before I start going off on the garbage the mint and other manufacters were putting out. Does anyone remember the Dodge Spirit of 76 pickup truck?  Okay I will be quiet now. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1358 Posts |
For quarters and halves, it's partially because 1974 coins were minted for a year and a half. 1975 was split between those and bicentennial coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
814 Posts |
Quote:
For quarters and halves, it's partially because 1974 coins were minted for a year and a half. 1975 was split between those and bicentennial coins.  Dollars too. There are a lot of 1974 Ikes. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2270 Posts |
The biggest factor in the high mintages not related to the bicentennial is that the economy was booming and this was back when coins were still used in most transactions. People spent change and when the economy was good people let it build up in change jars for vacations.
Inflation was something of a factor since in those days vending machines were more useful and most people bought a few things from them. Cigarettes that required 30c in 1970 were 50c or 75c by 1976 which required more change.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
There was also a cent shortage in 1974 so they really cranked up production to correct for it.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
And I thought everyone was saying where did all these lousy 1964 Jefferson nickels come from? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2270 Posts |
In a sense 1974 dime mintage wasn't even all that high. It seemed high in early 1975 when one dime in six or seven was a nice shiny 1974 date. By this time and after three years of low mintages most dimes in circulation were beginning to show signs of wear and half of them had no remaining luster at all.
But 1974 simply marked a new standard for dime production and mintages stayed this high. They increased again in 1980 and 1999 making all these early mintages paltry in comparison. Indeed, attrition on 1974 dimes has thinned them out so much only some one in a hundred dimes
is dated 1974 today. This is still pretty common for that era but nothing stays the same exept change... ...er, ah... ...in this case even the change is changing.
Dimes are one of the most interesting circulating coins since the attrition is so very high that by the time one wears down to VF it's probably been lost forever. The older dimes are just gone now. It seemed every dime would be dated 1965 forever backin the day but even these are getting a little unusual and lost among all the 1999 and 2012's. The staggering mintage has been decimated by time and most survivors are only F or VF and many of these are culls.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1748 Posts |
1974 quarters, halves and dollars were minted from January 1974 and well in to the first half of 1975. I remember going to the bank to get bicentennial quarters and halves in July 1975. Hard to believe its almost 40 years ago.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 2,093 |
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Posted 09/19/2014 4:07 pm
