Identifying Denominations For Very Early Coins

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,248
StormStrikes Valued Member United States 136 Posts	Posted 06/13/2011 11:27 pm Okay, I have what may seem like a stupid question, but I'll risk it to learn something. I was looking at some early coins, namely the Drapped Bust dollar and I noticed that there is no coin denomination on it. Nothing identifies it as a $1 coin. So how did people know the value of coins? Report this Post to the Staff

murrellington Pillar of the Community United States 3276 Posts	Posted 06/14/2011 04:56 am i'd assume that it was the size. Notice all US coins are different sizes, dollars have always been the same size to my knowledge. That's my best guess. Good question, I had actually never noticed or thought about that. Report this Post to the Staff
Peter THOMAS Pillar of the Community Australia 2830 Posts	Posted 06/14/2011 05:07 am early coins of most countries did not have denominations. For example, the first British coin to be denominated was the farthing of 1799. Soon after, the denomination was dropped again. I don't know when it made a permanent return. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16826 Posts	Posted 06/14/2011 05:48 am Size and weight were the key determinants of determining a coin's value. In an age when most people insisted on getting their money's worth of precious metal in each coin, actually putting the denomination on the coin was less important than getting the weight and fineness right. Quote: For example, the first British coin to be denominated was the farthing of 1799. Not quite; there were marks of value, usually in Roman numerals (eg. XII on shillings) on some silver coins since the time of Edward VI, mid-1500s. But the 1799 farthing was the first coin in the British series to spell out the name of the denomination in full. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
John1 Moderator United States 56855 Posts	Posted 06/14/2011 06:45 am On the draped bust dollar it read 100 cents on the edge that wears away in time. John1 Report this Post to the Staff
biokemist6 Bedrock of the Community United States 12437 Posts	Posted 06/14/2011 11:01 am Early half dollars through 1836 also had edge lettering with the denomination. This is actually a funny subject in light of the complaints people had about SBA dollars looking like quarters. What would those silly people do if all the denominations had the same design Report this Post to the Staff
StormStrikes Valued Member United States 136 Posts	Posted 06/14/2011 12:54 pm Thank you all for the very valuable information and insight. I even went and checked an early half dollar as well and did not see any denomination on it. But of course I could not see the rims on the examples I looked at. Interesting stuff to be sure. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,248

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