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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,782 |
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Valued Member
United States
103 Posts |
I've been told that the mint, when making early large cents, would produce coins dated an earlier date than they were actually minted. For example, a coin dated 1798 was actually minted in 1804. This being different from a standard re strike. I don't want to confuse anyone, so please tell me if this is just a rumor or misunderstanding. The only reason it concerns me is that I'm considering purchasing an 18th century large cent and that would kind of defeat the purpose...
Thanks
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Yes it did happen, usually in the late 1790's especially in 1798 and 1799. There are several 1796 draped bust cents that were struck in 1798 and most of the cents struck in 1799 were actually dated 1798 Abou the only example I can think of after 1799 was the 1802 S-241 which used the same reverse, in a later die stage, as the 1803 S-243. If any of the 1790's cents were struck in the 1800's it might be a few 1799's struck in 1800, but I don't think that happened. In the Half Cents some of the 1797's were struck in 1800. Usually the reason that the early dated coins were stuck in later years was due to the almost annual closing down of the city of Philadelphia because of yellow fever outbreaks. When the fever hit everyone who could would flee the city. The mint would close down, send the dies to the vaults at the Bank of the United States, layoff the employees and the officers would leave the city. Then after the weather turned cold and the fever died out they would reopen. Typically being pressed with a demand for cents they would grab whatever dies were on hand that were still usable and start coining. |
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
The yellow fever was alive and well in the post Colonial era in our Nations infancy.
Cold, even nowadays, kills germs. That's why operating rooms and hospitals are so cold.
Take into account the many overdate varieties of the Draped Bust series.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
I wouldnt worry about what year it was struck, the die was still sunk in the year it says (maybe earlier).
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2362 Posts |
I agree with the replies and just wanted to add a bit of related information. Yesterday I read an article in the December issue of The Numismatist about the production of the 1816 large cents. There were no 1815 cents because of the war of 1812 and unavailable planchets. Actually the mint ran out of planchets while producing 1814 cents. After the war they were anxious to produce cents and so started producing in late 1815 but dated them 1816.
There was also production issues with the 1916 Quarter. The mint was still tweaking the dies and produced 52,000 during the last 2 weeks of December but didn't release them until the 1917 quarters with sharpened dies were released.
Member ANA and EAC "You got to lose to know how to win". Dream On by Aerosmith |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1132 Posts |
Very intriguing history lesson Condor. Many thanks!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8137 Posts |
Dies were very expensive to make, so they would use them until they literally fell apart. They did not care about dates as much as they do now so it was common to use 1802 dies in 1803 for example.
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Quote:
Very intriguing history lesson Condor. Many thanks!   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1566 Posts |
The mint had a difficult time obtaining the high quality steel used to make the dies as most of it came from England. This is evidenced by the huge number of die varieties in the early coins produced by the mint. CoinCollector2012 is spot on.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
937 Posts |
I know by first hand experience that even into the last half of the 20th century that the date on the coin does not prove the coin was minted in that year. I started collecting in 1971 and I would scour pocket change looking for wheat cents and the new coins. While Christmas shopping in 1973 I received a 1974 cent in change. Certain I had found a treasure equal to The Holy Grail I went to the coin shop ready to make a fortune only to learn it was worth 1 cent.
Several time since I have found next years cents in December. So I do not take mintage numbers as gospel. It may reflect the number minted that year but does not say that they were all dated that year.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
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It may reflect the number minted that year but does not say that they were all dated that year. Or perhaps the opposite....? Number dated that year regardless of year minted? |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,782 |
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Posted 12/18/2014 11:53 pm
