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My Box of 20 ...
BillJones
Posts: 34,740 ✭✭✭✭✭
Earlier in the week "2ldtjorn" tried to start of "box of 20" coins. His efforts did not get too far with just three entries. Rather than hijacking his string I thought that I would draw up my own box of 20. As I said before I could never be happy with a "box of 20" because my interests are too diverse, but here is my list of historically significant U.S. coins in chronological order.
1. 1652 Pine Tree Shilling - This was the first coin was struck on what would become the continental United States. Purists might call for an NE Shilling, but that coin is too rare and expensive for most collectors to even consider buying one. The Pine Tree Shilling is rare enough to be a challenge, but common enough to be an achievable goal.
2. A Spanish Milled Dollar - This coin was widely used in America and the world before there was a United States. Some of the colonial currencies, as well as the Continental Revolutionary War notes, were said to be backed by these coins although that usually as not the case. This coin also had legal tender status in the U.S. until 1857.
3. 1787 Fugio Cent - This was the first coin approved by a governing body that was over the soon to be formed United States of America under the Constitution. Authorizing the Fugio Cent was one of the last acts of the government that was under the Articles of Confederation.
4. 1792 Half Disme - This was the first United States coin. At least some of the silver that went into these coins came from George Washington.
5. 1793 Chain Cent - This was the first coin struck at the first United States mint. If you are (wealthy) purist that would be Sheldon 1 or Chain AMERI. variety.
6. 1794 Silver Dollar - The first silver coin issued by the United States mint.
7. 1795 Half Eagle - The first gold coin issued by the United States mint.
8. 1807 Capped Bust Half Dollar - This was the first coin designed by John Reich. His obverse design would influence U.S. coinage until the late 1830s. His reverse design would influence U.S. coinage until 1891.
9. 1834 Classic Head $5 Gold - This was the first U.S. gold coin that would receive wide circulation. Prior gold issues were too heavy and were melted in large quantities.
10. 1836 Gobrecht Dollar - This coin marked the introduction of Liberty Seated design and marked the resumption of the U.S. silver dollar.
11. 1838 - C or D $5 Gold - These coins represent the introduction of branch mint coinage in The United States.
12. 1848 CAL $2.50 - These coins was made from the first shipment of California gold was that made to the East Coast of The United States.
13. 1849 Double Eagle - Okay, there is only one of these now known, and it is in the Smithsonian so any Type I Double Eagle will do. This marked the introduction of the double eagle which quickly became the coin of choice for large business transactions in cash. The Double Eagle is also very important in today's gold market.
14. 1878, 8 Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar - The first Morgan Dollar ... Although the coin was largely ignored when it was struck in the 19th century, today Morgan Dollars are now among the mostly widely collected U.S. coins.
15. 1892 Columbian Commemorative Half Dollar - This was the first "official" commemorative coin. I use the word "official" because some people now say that the 1848 CAL quarter eagle was the first U.S. commemorative coin. (See #12)
16. 1807 High Relief $20 Gold - Viewed by many as the most beautiful U.S. coin. The design also became very important in the $20 gold series as well as the modern bullion coin market.
17. 1909-VDB Cent - The first Lincoln cent which is now become a series that has lasted for 103 years and counting.
18. 1965 Quarter - The beginning of the clad coinage.
19. 1984-S $10 Gold - This was the first U.S. gold coin produced since 1933, and it started the modern U.S. commemorative gold series. A reasonable substitute could be the 1982 Washington commemorative half dollar which began the modern commemorative coin series.
20. 1999 Delaware Quarter - This was first State Quarter which started that decade long series. It launched the circulating commemorative quarter program which is still continuing.
The limitation to 20 coins means that some important items did not make the list, but here's my "box of 20" for your comments and revisions.
1. 1652 Pine Tree Shilling - This was the first coin was struck on what would become the continental United States. Purists might call for an NE Shilling, but that coin is too rare and expensive for most collectors to even consider buying one. The Pine Tree Shilling is rare enough to be a challenge, but common enough to be an achievable goal.
2. A Spanish Milled Dollar - This coin was widely used in America and the world before there was a United States. Some of the colonial currencies, as well as the Continental Revolutionary War notes, were said to be backed by these coins although that usually as not the case. This coin also had legal tender status in the U.S. until 1857.
3. 1787 Fugio Cent - This was the first coin approved by a governing body that was over the soon to be formed United States of America under the Constitution. Authorizing the Fugio Cent was one of the last acts of the government that was under the Articles of Confederation.
4. 1792 Half Disme - This was the first United States coin. At least some of the silver that went into these coins came from George Washington.
5. 1793 Chain Cent - This was the first coin struck at the first United States mint. If you are (wealthy) purist that would be Sheldon 1 or Chain AMERI. variety.
6. 1794 Silver Dollar - The first silver coin issued by the United States mint.
7. 1795 Half Eagle - The first gold coin issued by the United States mint.
8. 1807 Capped Bust Half Dollar - This was the first coin designed by John Reich. His obverse design would influence U.S. coinage until the late 1830s. His reverse design would influence U.S. coinage until 1891.
9. 1834 Classic Head $5 Gold - This was the first U.S. gold coin that would receive wide circulation. Prior gold issues were too heavy and were melted in large quantities.
10. 1836 Gobrecht Dollar - This coin marked the introduction of Liberty Seated design and marked the resumption of the U.S. silver dollar.
11. 1838 - C or D $5 Gold - These coins represent the introduction of branch mint coinage in The United States.
12. 1848 CAL $2.50 - These coins was made from the first shipment of California gold was that made to the East Coast of The United States.
13. 1849 Double Eagle - Okay, there is only one of these now known, and it is in the Smithsonian so any Type I Double Eagle will do. This marked the introduction of the double eagle which quickly became the coin of choice for large business transactions in cash. The Double Eagle is also very important in today's gold market.
14. 1878, 8 Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar - The first Morgan Dollar ... Although the coin was largely ignored when it was struck in the 19th century, today Morgan Dollars are now among the mostly widely collected U.S. coins.
15. 1892 Columbian Commemorative Half Dollar - This was the first "official" commemorative coin. I use the word "official" because some people now say that the 1848 CAL quarter eagle was the first U.S. commemorative coin. (See #12)
16. 1807 High Relief $20 Gold - Viewed by many as the most beautiful U.S. coin. The design also became very important in the $20 gold series as well as the modern bullion coin market.
17. 1909-VDB Cent - The first Lincoln cent which is now become a series that has lasted for 103 years and counting.
18. 1965 Quarter - The beginning of the clad coinage.
19. 1984-S $10 Gold - This was the first U.S. gold coin produced since 1933, and it started the modern U.S. commemorative gold series. A reasonable substitute could be the 1982 Washington commemorative half dollar which began the modern commemorative coin series.
20. 1999 Delaware Quarter - This was first State Quarter which started that decade long series. It launched the circulating commemorative quarter program which is still continuing.
The limitation to 20 coins means that some important items did not make the list, but here's my "box of 20" for your comments and revisions.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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As for the box of 20 itself, - it's hard to argue with the logic of your choices.
And yes, the other kids did hate having me in their class!
;-)
"Question your assumptions."
"Intelligence is an evolutionary adaptation."
And for historical significance, personally I would swap out the Lincoln in favor of an FE cent with the transition from large cents to small cents being the difference.
However...
Yuck. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.
It's a textbook, rather faded, page-worn grade-school library book box of 20. With a few exceptions, those pieces are painfully dull. They are unquestionably significant representations of areas of the hobby. But so is what's in your pocket at this very moment. It's a box of 20 for someone who has never seen US coins before--and it's a good one: well thought out, chronologically appropriate, covers most areas. But so does a Timex.
Give me a Patek instead, give me a Pan Pac $50. Give me a Sinn, give me a '21 Peace.
--Severian the Lame
<< <i>I note for the record that, as entertaining and informative as Bill's post is, it does contain a contradiction. If the half disme of 1792 was the first coin and made of silver, then the 1794 dollar cannot be the first silver coin produced by the mint.
And yes, the other kids did hate having me in their class!
;-) >>
Bill is, not surprisingly, correct. The 1792 half disme was struck at a private facility by John Harper, not the US mint.
Edit for spelling.
My icon IS my coin. It is a gem 1949 FBL Franklin.
<< <i>Earlier in the week "2ldtjorn" tried to start of "box of 20" coins. His efforts did not get too far with just three entries. Rather than hijacking his string I thought that I would draw up my own box of 20. As I said before I could never be happy with a "box of 20" because my interests are too diverse, but here is my list of historically significant U.S. coins in chronological order.
1. 1652 Pine Tree Shilling - This was the first coin was struck on what would become the continental United States. Purists might call for an NE Shilling, but that coin is too rare and expensive for most collectors to even consider buying one. The Pine Tree Shilling is rare enough to be a challenge, but common enough to be an achievable goal.
2. A Spanish Milled Dollar - This coin was widely used in America and the world before there was a United States. Some of the colonial currencies, as well as the Continental Revolutionary War notes, were said to be backed by these coins although that usually as not the case. This coin also had legal tender status in the U.S. until 1857.
3. 1787 Fugio Cent - This was the first coin approved by a governing body that was over the soon to be formed United States of America under the Constitution. Authorizing the Fugio Cent was one of the last acts of the government that was under the Articles of Confederation.
4. 1792 Half Disme - This was the first United States coin. At least some of the silver that went into these coins came from George Washington.
5. 1793 Chain Cent - This was the first coin struck at the first United States mint. If you are (wealthy) purist that would be Sheldon 1 or Chain AMERI. variety.
6. 1794 Silver Dollar - The first silver coin issued by the United States mint.
7. 1795 Half Eagle - The first gold coin issued by the United States mint.
8. 1807 Capped Bust Half Dollar - This was the first coin designed by John Reich. His obverse design would influence U.S. coinage until the late 1830s. His reverse design would influence U.S. coinage until 1891.
9. 1834 Classic Head $5 Gold - This was the first U.S. gold coin that would receive wide circulation. Prior gold issues were too heavy and were melted in large quantities.
10. 1836 Gobrecht Dollar - This coin marked the introduction of Liberty Seated design and marked the resumption of the U.S. silver dollar.
11. 1838 - C or D $5 Gold - These coins represent the introduction of branch mint coinage in The United States.
12. 1848 CAL $2.50 - These coins was made from the first shipment of California gold was that made to the East Coast of The United States.
13. 1849 Double Eagle - Okay, there is only one of these now known, and it is in the Smithsonian so any Type I Double Eagle will do. This marked the introduction of the double eagle which quickly became the coin of choice for large business transactions in cash. The Double Eagle is also very important in today's gold market.
14. 1878, 8 Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar - The first Morgan Dollar ... Although the coin was largely ignored when it was struck in the 19th century, today Morgan Dollars are now among the mostly widely collected U.S. coins.
15. 1892 Columbian Commemorative Half Dollar - This was the first "official" commemorative coin. I use the word "official" because some people now say that the 1848 CAL quarter eagle was the first U.S. commemorative coin. (See #12)
16. 1807 High Relief $20 Gold - Viewed by many as the most beautiful U.S. coin. The design also became very important in the $20 gold series as well as the modern bullion coin market.
17. 1909-VDB Cent - The first Lincoln cent which is now become a series that has lasted for 103 years and counting.
18. 1965 Quarter - The beginning of the clad coinage.
19. 1984-S $10 Gold - This was the first U.S. gold coin produced since 1933, and it started the modern U.S. commemorative gold series. A reasonable substitute could be the 1982 Washington commemorative half dollar which began the modern commemorative coin series.
20. 1999 Delaware Quarter - This was first State Quarter which started that decade long series. It launched the circulating commemorative quarter program which is still continuing.
The limitation to 20 coins means that some important items did not make the list, but here's my "box of 20" for your comments and revisions. >>
No worries about hijacking threads. The point of this forum is to educate our selves, and window shop
I would of course make a couple of changes to keep it pre-1965 and I would eliminate your number 13 since you already have another great double eagle in your mix and the 1849 will be a bit tough to get as you said. I would also get rid of the Spanish Milled Dollar to the shock and disgust of some.
Those changes would allow for a 2c, 3c, $1 gold, $3 and $4. For grins, I might even swap your 1909 VDB with a 1909-S VDB.
Cool list and fun idea. A box of 20 is tough to do, that's for sure!
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
... but that's just me. The best part of this hobby is that there are no rules!
Shouldn't #16 reference 1907, not 1807?
Of course this is just personal preference, but I would like to see a 1776 Continental dollar in there somewhere - maybe instead of the Delaware quarter.
<< <i>I dig them all except 18, 19 and 20......perhaps those are significant but they're also way too boring...ask me again in 100 years!
Love the box, Bill. I have to agree with the above, though I think open minds would go along with your modern choices. Mine is closed.
Lance.