The 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America - How would you choose?
MidLifeCrisis
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In the recent thread asking us to suggest the next "100 Greatest" book, I suggested The 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America .
If you were going to create such a list, what are the most important criteria you would base your choices on?
Minted in America?
Minted for use in America?
Widely circulated in America?
Rarity?
Value today?
Design?
Other?
If you were going to create such a list, what are the most important criteria you would base your choices on?
Minted in America?
Minted for use in America?
Widely circulated in America?
Rarity?
Value today?
Design?
Other?
0
Comments
Early america, to me means post Constitution era.
They may not have thought varieties back then, but I ask: would there be 100 varieties from that period?
Erik Goldstein and I put together a list something like this every year for our ANA Summer Seminar class.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
Or we could just do it here and start our own list:
1. Mass silver (willow, oak, or pine tree)
2. Fugio
3. Spanish 8R
4. ....
<< <i>Choose? I would just ask JK and JA. Maybe use the PCGS registry, which I believe JA help to construct, as a blueprint.
Or we could just do it here and start our own list >>
Deciding who should be on the "committee" to select the 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America is a topic that's probably worthy of its own thread!
A couple of years ago, I posted the following as a top ten list of colonial era coins I would want - if I didn't specialize in this area - to represented the various types:
1. 1787 Fugio copper - Newman 13-X variety. This is a common variety easily obtainable in nice, uncirculated condition because of the Bank of New York Hoard. As such, it could serve well as a definitive example.
2. 1652 Pine Tree Shilling, Large Planchet, Noe 1 - the so-called 'Pellets at Trunk' variety.
3. Bar Copper, circa 1785 – Popular, easily recognizable coin with a design based on the buttons of Continental soldiers' uniforms. Very patriotic for early America, even though they were made in England.
4. 1783 John Chalmers Shilling – long or short worm variety; made in Maryland.
5. French Colonies Sou Marque (also known as a Double Sol or 24 Deniers) – The French and their colonization of early America are very important to our history and our rise as a nation and I think they should be represented.
6. St. Patrick Copper Farthing or Halfpenny, circa 1670-1674 – Very early coins brought over from Ireland and authorized expressly as legal coinage in New Jersey.
7. 1773 Virginia Halfpenny, With Period variety – easily obtainable in high grade because of a keg of uncirculated pieces that was found in Richmond, Virginia just prior to the Civil War.
8. 1787 Connecticut Copper, Miller 6.1-M the Laughing Head variety - Copper coins were struck in Connecticut beginning in 1785. Over 350 distinct die varieties are known to exist today. The Laughing Head is an interesting representative for the type.
9. 1786 Vermont Copper Landscape type – VERMONTENSIUM, Ryder 6 variety – A common but impressive coin.
10. 1723 Rosa Americana twopence, Crowned Rosa variety - Struck under authorization from the King and produced expressly for use in British North America, this type would have been familiar in commerce for most of the 18th century.
But I would not have that same list as the top ten of the 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America.
I like the list that MLC came up with. Certainly all those pieces would be listed in such a book were it produced. I would in a book like that think the #1 coin would have to be the silver Continental Dollar or the American Congress Fugio. Picking an order to the coins would be interesting, as I think there are many that could be in the top 5.
Top 5 in my mind (and it is hard to choose) in no particular order
Silver Continental Dollar
American Congress Fugio
Brasher Doubloon
Willow/NE Shilling
Date Under Plow Beam NJ
Minted in America/use for America would have to be a major factor in the addition of any coin. Value, not so much, but of course the top 10 coins listed would probably amount to a private island today. There are many great pieces that circulated extensively here like British Counterfeits that would certainly need to be mentioned.
<< <i>Certainly there are 100 "greatest coins" that circulated in early America.
I like the list that MLC came up with. Certainly all those pieces would be listed in such a book were it produced. I would in a book like that think the #1 coin would have to be the silver Continental Dollar... >>
While I agree with your other choices and comments, and I think the Continental Dollar should be included somewhere on the list, I don't think I would rank them very high. They are just not among my favorite colonial era coins. Here's what I wrote in a thread a couple of years ago about them:
Continental Dollars are known and desired by mainstream collectors as well as specialists. But mainstream collectors may want one because 1) it has the 1776 date; 2) it was designed by Ben Franklin; and 3) they believe it circulated in the newly independent American colonies as regular issue coinage. This third reason may be a major contributor for why the prices for these coins are so high.
Maybe I'm jaded by their price relative to their rarity and also by the pieces I usually see on the market. But, off the top of my head, here's what I think:
1. While one or two varieties may be extremely rare, I don't believe they are rare as a type. I would estimate that they are R-2 to R-3 as a type. This, to me, does not justify their price.
2. The ones I recall seeing most frequently on the market are conserved and terrible looking, usually in NCS slabs it seems.
3. The 1776 date is cool. But I don't think they ever actually circulated as legal tender - at least not much. I think that if they did, they would have taken over as the coin of choice to replace the 8 reales. I say that knowing that most people during the colonial period could barely afford low denomination copper pieces, much less something as valuable as full 8 real coins or their equivalents.
4. While their design is cool - as is the fact that they were designed by Franklin - I like the later adaptation of this design as used on the Fugios much better, especially with the "Mind Your Business" motto so prominently displayed on Fugios.
If I were to create such a list with the intention of publishing a book in the series, I would stick to general types and not specify varieties. These books tend to be written for generalists and even non-collectors. I believe that if you make it too esoteriic and specific, you risk losing your audience before they even purchase the book,
<< <i>The 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America- How would you choose? >>
I think you would be very hard-pressed to get to a total of 100 without including lots of denominations or varieties or watering down the list to the point that it became a bit silly.
<< <i>MLC,
If I were to create such a list with the intention of publishing a book in the series, I would stick to general types and not specify varieties. These books tend to be written for generalists and even non-collectors. I believe that if you make it too esoteriic and specific, you risk losing your audience before they even purchase the book, >>
I agree with that.
<< <i>
<< <i>Certainly there are 100 "greatest coins" that circulated in early America.
I like the list that MLC came up with. Certainly all those pieces would be listed in such a book were it produced. I would in a book like that think the #1 coin would have to be the silver Continental Dollar... >>
While I agree with your other choices and comments, and I think the Continental Dollar should be included somewhere on the list, I don't think I would rank them very high. They are just not among my favorite colonial era coins. Here's what I wrote in a thread a couple of years ago about them:
Continental Dollars are known and desired by mainstream collectors as well as specialists. But mainstream collectors may want one because 1) it has the 1776 date; 2) it was designed by Ben Franklin; and 3) they believe it circulated in the newly independent American colonies as regular issue coinage. This third reason may be a major contributor for why the prices for these coins are so high.
Maybe I'm jaded by their price relative to their rarity and also by the pieces I usually see on the market. But, off the top of my head, here's what I think:
1. While one or two varieties may be extremely rare, I don't believe they are rare as a type. I would estimate that they are R-2 to R-3 as a type. This, to me, does not justify their price.
2. The ones I recall seeing most frequently on the market are conserved and terrible looking, usually in NCS slabs it seems.
3. The 1776 date is cool. But I don't think they ever actually circulated as legal tender - at least not much. I think that if they did, they would have taken over as the coin of choice to replace the 8 reales. I say that knowing that most people during the colonial period could barely afford low denomination copper pieces, much less something as valuable as full 8 real coins or their equivalents.
4. While their design is cool - as is the fact that they were designed by Franklin - I like the later adaptation of this design as used on the Fugios much better, especially with the "Mind Your Business" motto so prominently displayed on Fugios. >>
Hey MLC, I was meaning the silver struck Continental, not the pewter as the possibility that they are the first silver dollar coins struck for the US. I agree with you that they are not super rare as a coinage, in fact much more common based on population than most early types. Interestingly enough, to my knowledge all of the silver Continental Dollars are in circulated condition.....
2) the mass. shillings
your pics after that
1792 would be a natural stopping point, though extending it to the end of the century would allow for some other interesting issues (like the Castorland medal) to be included. Erik Goldstein and I put together a list something like this every year for our ANA Summer Seminar class.
At the risk of a bad pun, don't forget the pistareen, which circulated not only before 1792
but until at least the 1840s.
<< <i>Hey MLC, I was meaning the silver struck Continental, not the pewter as the possibility that they are the first silver dollar coins struck for the US. >>
Ah, sorry. I just skipped over the word "silver" in your last post!
Silver Continental Dollars are, what, a Rarity 7 for all varieties together? Based on a quick review of Ford I, there are just a two known of each of the two varieties he had.
Obviously they are an exception since, as you noted, there's the the possibility that they are the first silver dollar coins struck for the US.
<< <i>
<< <i>Choose? I would just ask JK and JA. Maybe use the PCGS registry, which I believe JA help to construct, as a blueprint.
Or we could just do it here and start our own list >>
Deciding who should be on the "committee" to select the 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America is a topic that's probably worthy of its own thread!
A couple of years ago, I posted the following as a top ten list of colonial era coins I would want - if I didn't specialize in this area - to represented the various types:
1. 1787 Fugio copper - Newman 13-X variety. This is a common variety easily obtainable in nice, uncirculated condition because of the Bank of New York Hoard. As such, it could serve well as a definitive example.
2. 1652 Pine Tree Shilling, Large Planchet, Noe 1 - the so-called 'Pellets at Trunk' variety.
3. Bar Copper, circa 1785 – Popular, easily recognizable coin with a design based on the buttons of Continental soldiers' uniforms. Very patriotic for early America, even though they were made in England.
4. 1783 John Chalmers Shilling – long or short worm variety; made in Maryland.
5. French Colonies Sou Marque (also known as a Double Sol or 24 Deniers) – The French and their colonization of early America are very important to our history and our rise as a nation and I think they should be represented.
6. St. Patrick Copper Farthing or Halfpenny, circa 1670-1674 – Very early coins brought over from Ireland and authorized expressly as legal coinage in New Jersey.
7. 1773 Virginia Halfpenny, With Period variety – easily obtainable in high grade because of a keg of uncirculated pieces that was found in Richmond, Virginia just prior to the Civil War.
8. 1787 Connecticut Copper, Miller 6.1-M the Laughing Head variety - Copper coins were struck in Connecticut beginning in 1785. Over 350 distinct die varieties are known to exist today. The Laughing Head is an interesting representative for the type.
9. 1786 Vermont Copper Landscape type – VERMONTENSIUM, Ryder 6 variety – A common but impressive coin.
10. 1723 Rosa Americana twopence, Crowned Rosa variety - Struck under authorization from the King and produced expressly for use in British North America, this type would have been familiar in commerce for most of the 18th century.
But I would not have that same list as the top ten of the 100 Greatest Coins that Circulated in Early America. >>
Great list. I'd have to include the Continental Dollar. Likely did not circulate much but the only U.S. 1776 Dated coin, some of the design by Ben Franklin, very historic, very cool coin I think.