Are dimes without stars really German silver?
RogerB
Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
A fun letter from long ago - missing stars on dimes and half dimes.
"Fredericksburg, Va.
July 16, 1841
To: William Findlay, Esq. [Treasurer of the Philadelphia Mint]
Sir:
A statement I see is made in the newspapers that there are a number of dimes and half dimes in circulation, made of German silver, which may be distinguished from the genuine coins, in as much as they want the stars upon them. In this region I see that there are none of 1837 that have the stars, but in every other respect that are exact imitations of the genuine coin, so far as I can discover.
May I ask the favor of you to inform me whether the start were left out at the mint in 1837 or am I to consider also all that are without the stars as base coins and treat them accordingly by refusing to receive them. With an apology for giving you this trouble.
I am, etc.
Your Obedt servant
William Allen"
Comments
Nein!
Nicht "nein;" ist "dreizehn."
No
Can you imagine signing your name with "Your Obedient Servant"?
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No!
I like the "I am, etc.". Insert a bunch of humility yada yada here.
The niceties of correspondence during that period, while quaint, would certainly be more welcome than the stark lack of personal contact in texts or emails of today.
As to the OP...What was the conclusion reached regarding these 'coins'? Cheers, RickO
Sounds like there was an urban legend floating around that the Mint had to debunk.
Just as idle speculation, perhaps one of very prolific German Silver counterfeiters took some time off from making half dollars and made some of the new No Stars Dimes, and the correspondent heard about them and leapt to the confusion that all No Stars Dimes were counterfeits.
Word didn't travel very fast back then and the mint's Advertising/Public Relations Budget was much smaller.
Each time the Mint introduced a new design, then made a small change to it (pun intended), the public papers came up with interesting stories about the piece being counterfeit or made of base metal. These are precursors to the "Coin Recall" stories that accompanied 1883 nickels and all later issues.