Last week I acquired a new 1923 Standing Liberty Quarter to add to my collection, which is what inspired me to write this blog. Designed by Hermon MacNeil, this is one of the most popular coin designs for collectors. The prices of these coins are generally much higher than other coins minted in the same time-period. The overall mintage of the Standing Liberty Quarter series is much lower than the popular Mercury Dimes and Buffalo Nickels. From 1916 to 1924, the dates wore off much sooner than any of the details. This is because the date is the highest part on early date Standing Liberty Quarters. This led to extreme difficulties for grading companies, like PCGS and NGC, as well as collectors and dealers. There is essentially only one that that is required to grade coins. That is that the coin must be identifiable by year, denomination, series, variety, etc. Unfortunately, many of the earlier Standing Liberty Quarters ended up “ungradable.” Coins that may normally be a good, or sometimes even a very good example, may be ungradable simply because of the lack of the date. From 1925 to 1930, the date was recessed, which was very beneficial. The coins weigh 6.25 grams and are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper.

The two-cent piece, minted from 1864 to 1873 was a short-lived and currently obsolete denomination from the US Mint. It was one of the shortest-lived denominations and issue of any United States coin. Around this time, the Mint was creating two-cent pieces and three-cent pieces, with the nickel three-cent coin replacing the silver design in 1865, one year after the first year of the two-cent piece. Just after the conclusion of the two-cent piece in 1873, the Mint began minting another popular obsolete denomination, the twenty-cent piece. This type was incredibly short lived, concluding in 1878, just 3 years after its introduction. Around this time, the US Mint seemed to have been obsessed with creating several different denominations until finally settling in on what you generally use today. The mintages of the two-cent coins started out strong, but dwindled down every year and 1873 was a proof-only year. The coin was designed by James Longacre and weighted 6.22 grams, double the weight of the bronze Indian Head Cent, also designed by Longacre and released the same year. The coin was composed of 95% copper, plus a�5% tin and zinc combination. These coins, with a diameter of 23 millimeters are slightly larger than small cents. All two-cent pieces were minted at the Philadelphia Mint.�

Because of my busy week this past week, you get to read two articles in one day, this along with my article about details grades.

The Franklin Half Dollar was designed by John R. Sinnock, who also designed the Roosevelt Dime, which was released two years before the Franklin Half Dollar, in 1946. The Franklin Half Dollar was minted from 1948 to 1963 and was the successor to the popular Walking Liberty Half Dollar, whose obverse design is also on the modern American Silver Eagle coins. In my opinion, the Franklin Half Dollar, along with the other coins released during this time, started the age when American coins began to seem much more boring and uninteresting. The reverse of the coin contains the Liberty Bell, which is the part of the coin that causes the designation, FBL, which means “Full Bell Lines.” On the Liberty Bell, near both the top and bottom, are lines. If the lines are uninterrupted or mushed together, that means the coin is very well struck and may receive the Full Bell Lines designation by the leading grading services.

The price of copper had risen and half cents and large cents arely circulated outside of cities. That was the end of the large cents and the start of the small cents.�1850s: Flying Eagle Small CentThe Flying Eagle Small Cent was minted as a pattern to show Congress what the new penny would look like in 1856. It weighs only 4.67 grams and is 88% copper and 12% nickel, unlike the previous, heavier large cents which were entirely copper. All of these coins were minted at the Philadelphia Mint.�The coin was minted from 1856 to 1858, however, only about 2,000 1856 coins are known to exist. The coin has a bird flying towards the left of the coin, with the date below and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" above, going around the bird to the left and right sides. The reverse consists of another wheat ring with "ONE CENT" in the middle. Because "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" is on the obverse, it is not on the reverse, as with the large cents.1860s: Indian Head Small CentsMinted from 1859 to 1909, this coin had a long history. With the same dimensions as the flying eagle cents, but with a different design, these coins were far more popular than the large cents. The 1859 variety consisted of Lady Liberty wearing an Indian headdress, looking to the left, on the obverse. As with all the other years, this is not portraying an actual Native American/Indian. "UNITED STATES" is towards the left of the coin and "OF AMERICA" is towards the right. The date is on the bottom. The reverse consists of a laurel wreath, similar to the Flying Eagle Small Cents and previous large cents. For 1860 to 1864, the coin was the same on the obverse, but contained an oak wreath on the revserse and a shield up top. These coins were coined only at the Philadelphia Mint.1870s: Indian Head Small Cents - Bronze VariantMinted from 1864 to the end of the series in 1909, this coin is 3.11 grams and was minted with 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, due to a decrease in nickel. The obverse and reverse looked the same. These were coined at Philadelphia and San Francisco mints.1910s: Lincoln Wheat Small CentsSeveral years were skipped, but the Indian Head Small Cent was minted throughout that entire time. The Lincoln Wheat Cents were commemorating the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. V.D.B, the designer's initials, appear on a small quantity of 1909 pennies, but Congress was upset, so it was removed. From 1909 to 1942, the coin weighs 3.11 grams, as with the Indian Head Cent, with the same materials and quantity as the Indian Heads.� These coins were minted at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints. They contain Lincoln in the middle, facing to the right, with "LIBERTY" to his left, and the year to his right, with the mint mark below. Philadelphia coins have no mintmark. "IN GOD WE TRUST" is above his head. The revser consists of "ONE CENT" in the middle, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" below it. "E PLURIBUS UNUM" is above, where "IN GOD WE TRUST" is on the obverse. Two pieces of wheat are to the left and right of the reverse. This coin was also minted from 1944 to its end in 1958.1940s: Lincoln Wheat Small Steel CentsThis coin, minted in only 1943, looks the same as the bronze versions, but is made of steel with a zinc coating. It weighed only 2.70 grams and is attracted to magnets, so if you find a bronze 1943, check it with a magnet before saying you have a valuable error. The US Government needed copper for the war. I have heard non-collectors say, "I didn't know they made a silver penny." It's not silver, just steel coated with zinc.1950s: Lincoln Wheat Small CentsThey went back to the previous version with 95% copper and 5% zinc/zinc and tin.1960s: Lincoln Memorial Small CentsThese coins contain 95% copper and 5% zinc or zinc and tin. Minted from 1959 to 1982, these coins contain copper. The obverse is the same as the wheat cents, however, the revserse contains the Lincoln Memorial in the middle with�"E PLURIBUS UNUM" above and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"�abobe that. "ONE CENT" is below the memorial.� This coin was minted for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.