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 Replies: 33 / Views: 4,189 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
As I move through my collecting journey I realize that grade is a cornerstone of a coin's importance and value in my collection. Another that is increasingly important, perhaps to the point where it is almost just as or even more important is that the coin has some significant historical meaning. Aside from grade and rarity, which coins in your collection have the greatest Historical Significance and why? I think this will say a lot about what historical events you prize most reflected in the coinage you have chosen to collect. I'll start the ball rolling in my collection. Research indicates that this coin was struck in New Orleans, LA after Confederate forces took over the U.S. Mint in that city early in 1861. Most 1861-O half dollars cannot be pinned down for who was in charge of the NOLA Mint when the coin was struck, but this one is documented to have been struck after the Confederate States of America (CSA) took over the Mint due to a reverse die that displayed the speared olive bud.    IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.comEdited by numismatic student
11/20/2022 6:48 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
8938 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
11880 Posts |
Gotta see the pictures even though they have no bearing on their historical significance.  IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4618 Posts |
I think my nickel III¢ piece from 1865 would be of most historical significance to me. I'm thinking of the state of things in the US when it was struck at the end of the Civil War. Its story also points to changes in coinage in general in the 1850s wanting smaller coins with less intrinsic value used to buy postage stamps. Copper was being hoarded at that time and 3 large cents was a lot of metal to carry, weighing a total of more than silver dollar of the same period. The switch to small cents still a couple of years away.  ANA ID: 3203813 - CONECA ID: N-5637 Clean a coin that may be worth collecting? Please DON'T! When in doubt, leave it dirty!! 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
this is probably mine.  it was the reference coin for the andrews and the newcomb books on late date cents. andrews diagnostic for this coin was incorrect. there is a small ding at the top of the 5 in the date. andrews thought that ding was a die feature. here is a thread I made on the topic http://goccf.com/t/431771 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6997 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
1793 S-1 chain cent (AMERI rev), the first coins produced by the Federal Government under the Constitution.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
I would argue that these were Quote:
the first coins produced by the Federal Government under the Constitution.   However these are likely to be the first regular issue coins struck at the U.S. Mint.   IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
ive always found the debate surrounding the identity of the first american coin to be interesting. recently people have been arguing that the fugio deserves the designation. since PCGS is backing this theory I think this is the one that the larger community will believe a generation from now. federally authorized, intended for circulation, circulated but werent made at the mint. the quint is one that ive heard mentioned in these conversations but I'm not well informed there. the Half Disme was federally authorized, intended for circulation and immediately circulated however they were also made by private manufacturers. for me the chain is the first coin that definitively checks all the boxes. made at the mint, authorized by the federal govenrment, intended for circulation, used extensively in commerce. im biased though. there isn't a difinitive answer. its all about where you want to draw the line. Edited by CarrsCoins
11/22/2022 11:51 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
One of the greatest things about our country is that we are generally free to disagree when there is room for disagreement and there isn't a despot telling us that his/her opinion is the only valid truth.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4691 Posts |
Guttag family. Instrumental in promoting this coin. Presumably this came from the estate.   Edited by jimbucks
11/22/2022 1:52 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1849 Posts |
It would probably be my (very humble) 1793 Chain Cent, and for all the reasons which @CarrsCoins so eloquently laid out: Quote:
...for me the chain is the first coin that definitively checks all the boxes. made at the mint, authorized by the federal govenrment, intended for circulation, used extensively in commerce.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3342 Posts |
It's not a single coin but dozens of them, from the California Gold Rush and Comstock silver bonanza period. The rarest are an 1858-S half eagle and an 1861-S quarter.   "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
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Aside from grade and rarity, which coins in your collection have the greatest Historical Significance and why? This question centers upon my obsession with counterstamped coins. While I've owned many rare coins & tokens, dates, condition census, varieties, etc. in over six decades of collecting, it's the historical significance, conveyed by counterstamps that's captured and long held my interest in this genre. The counterstamps speak to the people, events and times during which the host coins circulated. Here are a few of the hundreds of historically significant counterstamps in my collection .... One of the most significant of all 19th century inventions was Elias Howe's lock-stitch sewing machine. It enabled women, in particular, to work from their home. The original patent was granted on Sep. 10, 1846.  Thanks to his pocket pistols, Henry Deringer, Jr. remains today, one of the best known American gunsmiths. The counterstamp illustrated below matches those seen on his earliest models from the 1830's. The TTD initials likely represent those of his son, Theophilus T. Deringer.  Samuel Colt was another well known gunsmith. This stamp matches that seen on his early bullet molds.  The above three counterstamps are issues of fairly well known inventors whose products have much impacted American life and progress. Edited by ExoGuy
11/28/2022 10:54 am
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
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Here are a few of the hundreds of historically significant counterstamps in my collection .... Excellent!  |
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Replies: 33 / Views: 4,189 |
Posted 11/20/2022 8:14 pm
