The Unsung First Day Issues

DrDarryl

It's well known that each major Third Grading Party (TPG) company employs a marketing tool to grade/encapsulate a multitude of coins that meet its "first day of issue" criteria (e.g. publicly sold by the U.S. Mint for the first time and received by a specific deadline). The recent grading of the 1964-D Kennedy half-dollars sealed in an original dated bag since 1964 has pushed the limit of coins being designated as "first day of issue".

This brings up the main point of this discussion. A group of coins not readily known by the numismatists nor collectors exists that are "first day of issues". I call them the ** Unsung First Day Issues**.

What is a Unsung First Day Issue?
These are historic numismatic coins with proper written documentation that provides proof it's a true first day of issue. This proof can be narrowed down to a U.S. Government official (with a direct connection to the U.S. Mint) that gifts a "first day of issue coin" to an another U.S. Government official. Here are four examples of written documentation:

Example 1 - First Day of Issue 1971-S Proof Eisenhower Dollar:
Image of the July 29, 1971 documentation of the FDI 1971 Proof Eisenhower dollar from the Director of the Mint (Mary Brooks) to the Special Assistant to the President Eisenhower (General Robert L. Schulz). I believe this is the first discovery of documentation of this type for the 1971-S Proof Eisenhower Dollar.

Example 2 - First Day of Issue 1971-S Uncirculated Eisenhower Dollar:
Image of the August 6, 1971 documentation of the FDI 1971-S uncirculated Eisenhower dollar (blue pack) from President of the United States (Richard M. Nixon) to a Congressman (Honorable Paul G. Rogers).

Example 3 - First Day of Issue 1965 Uncirculated Clad Washington Quarter Dollar:
Image of the November 3, 1965 documentation of the FDI 1965 uncirculated clad Washington quarter dollar from the President of the United States (Lyndon B. Johnson) to a Congressman (Honorable Seymour Halpern).

Example 4 - First Day of Issue 1964-P Uncirculated Kennedy Half Dollar:
Image of the March 24, 1964 documentation of the FDI 1964-P uncirculated Kennedy half dollar from the President of the United States (Lyndon B. Johnson) to a Congressman (Honorable Robert G. Stephans, Jr.)

All are historic numismatic coins and are part of the now known Unsung First Day Issues.

Does anyone else have an additional Unsung First Day Issues to share?

Note 1: Information and images are taken from my American Numismatic Association blog dated April 24, 2020.

ricko

@DrDarryl....Is that Kennedy half an Accented Hair specimen? If so, the Unsung First Day Issue would need to have that attribution....Cheers, RickO

messydesk

1878 $1 VAM 9. Struck on March 11, 1878, late in the afternoon.

JesseKraft

Very Cool, @DrDarryl !

1903 Amerigo Vespucci medal, designed by Victor D. Brenner and issued by the American Numismatic Society. Silver, 119.08g. This issue was serial numbered on the edge, and this example is marked #1. (My apologies for not having pics of the edge itself.)
American Numismatic Society, 0000.999.6729

JBK

The PPs coins and letters are fascinating, historic, and very collectible. But reading the letters most if not all do not certify that they are "first day of issue".

No matter as far as I am concerned. The associations are more important than day of striking.

PipestonePete

Here's my homemade "1st Day of Issue" when the SBA Dollars were released in 1979.

DrDarryl

Making the connection of a US coin to a historic figure, in this case a POTUS or Director of the US Mint, then linking it to a US Mint event (first day issue) is an undeniable numismatic treasure.

Here is a First Strike 1971 Eisenhower Dollar gifted by the Director of the Mint to the personal aide of President Eisenhower.

DrDarryl

Image of the President Nixon gift set.

DrDarryl

The President Nixon gift set was not a 1 and done set. A total of 3 sets are now identified (Congressmen Rogers (part of original write-up, Stephens (shown in the image directly above), and Hatcher (letter shown below).

DrDarryl

Another example of the Kennedy half dollar can be seen in the archive of Great Collections

https://greatcollections.com/Coin/611606/1964-Kennedy-Silver-Half-Dollar-With-Presentation-Letter-on-White-House-Stationary-Signed-by-President-Lyndon-Johnson-Uncertified-in-Capital-Plastics-Display-Board

DrDarryl

Another Kennedy half dollar can be seen in the bio of Senator Bible. (Proves that a Senator and a Congressman had received POTUS gift.

https://ag.nv.gov/Bios/Biographies/20_-_Alan_H_Bible/

DrDarryl

Not an Unsung First Day Issue, but an Unsung Presidential Numismatic Artifact. Possible new so called dollar? I had a quick discussion with Jeff Shevlin (Denver 2017 ANA WFoM) about the inclusion as a SCD (my concern was the restriction rule "No purely presidential or political medals".

DrDarryl

My ongoing research notes from the US National Archives Records Administration (NARA).

Namvet69

Very interesting ways to show appreciation. Peace Roy