Home U.S. Coin Forum

The smallest coin ever made by the US Mint....

mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 6,248 ✭✭✭✭✭
Panama 1904 2-1/2 centisimos....composition .900 silver.....mintage 400K....popularly referred to as the "Panama pill".....diameter 10mm...

image

image

from mr1874's collection of the scarce and unusual

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

Comments

  • TopographicOceansTopographicOceans Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
    Where is it? I can barely see it.

    For those of you who prevented the US from converting to the Metric System, that's about 0.4 inches.
  • keyman64keyman64 Posts: 15,507 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's small! The Type 1 Gold Dollars were 13mm whereas the Type 2 and 3 Gold Dollars were 15mm.
    The early Half Dimes were 16.5mm and then later were changed to 15.5mm.
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners. :smile:
  • DennisHDennisH Posts: 13,991 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Neat!
    I had never heard of that little coin before. Thanks for posting.
    When in doubt, don't.
  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 6,248 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Where is it? I can barely see it.

    image

    ASW:.0362 oz. Melt value:$.60 (5/10/2015)

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,123 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • coinhackcoinhack Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Where is it? I can barely see it.

    image

    ASW:.0362 oz. Melt value:$.60 (5/10/2015) >>



    What are you saying? Did they punch that Panamanian coin out of the hole in that dime? image
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow... that is small.... I have some small Mexican gold coins... will check the diameter on them...Cheers, RickO
  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 6,248 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What are you saying? Did they punch that Panamanian coin out of the hole in that dime?

    The dime is there for size comparison.The Panama pill is 10mm diameter.The dime is 17.9mm diameter.

    There is an excellent article entitled "Foreign Coins Manufactured at US Mints" by Tim Ziebarth (March 2006) to be found at www.pdxcoinclub.org.

    Since beginning official production in 1876, coins
    have been minted:
    For 1127 issues not counting varieties
    For 43 countries
    In Gold, Silver (several alloys), Copper-
    Nickel, Bronze, Brass, German Silver, Zinc,
    Steel (including Stainless), Nickel and
    Aluminum
    At 6 US Mints, including Philadelphia,
    Denver, San Francisco, New Orleans, West
    Point and Manila
    Including many 1st's and "one-and-onlys" in
    terms of shape, size and form

    BTW,the dime bears the date 1876.
    It is Details-VF condition......

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,138 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>That's small! The Type 1 Gold Dollars were 13mm whereas the Type 2 and 3 Gold Dollars were 15mm.
    The early Half Dimes were 16.5mm and then later were changed to 15.5mm. >>



    Don't forget the 3 cent silver coins which are 14mm in diameter. They are also the lightest coins produced by the US Mint even though they aren't the smallest coin.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • jmcu12jmcu12 Posts: 2,452 ✭✭✭
    How does this coin compare to that of the half dime?
    Awarded latest "YOU SUCK!": June 11, 2014
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,138 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>How does this coin compare to that of the half dime? >>



    10mm vs. 16.5mm

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • NapNap Posts: 1,725 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow smaller than my stycas, which are typically 12-13mm.
  • BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You forgot the trime [3c silver] at 14mm is the smallest US silver coin and (1854-1873) at 0.75g the lightest...
    -----Burton
    ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,138 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>You forgot the trime [3c silver] at 14mm is the smallest US silver coin and (1854-1873) at 0.75g the lightest... >>



    I already posted this but nice try anyway.imageimage

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • The half cent was a smaller value and the trime was a smaller weight and smaller volume.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file