1940 Proof Quarter excerpt, as requested.

RogerB

This is another book excerpt, but this time for 1940 proof quarters. There are no major varieties for this year, so I've included an example of a complete coin delivery table. Notice in the header information that the quantities reported by the US Mint exceed the number of coins actually available for sale. The columns are self-explanatory and it is easy to see how many pieces were made, pieces reserved for assay (and later melted by order of the Director), and the quantity available for sale. In most years nearly all the coins were sold, with remainders of a dozen or so pieces of each denomination.

sparky64

Very interesting and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to post this.

I'm slightly distracted with the World Series at the moment but will be sure to completely digest this when I'm able.

Mine is a PR64, btw.

ricko

Very interesting... thanks for the data... Cheers, RickO

sparky64

Unfortunately I need to ask what are probably elementary questions.

I'm not familiar with certain titles, terms and procedures at the mint.

I should probably heed my grandfathers advice about keeping quiet and being thought of as a fool rather than opening my mouth and removing all doubt.

Anyway,

1. Planchets to Medal Room. Is the Medal room where the coins are struck?
2. Proof coins returned. Returned, as in handed over? And to who?
3. Condemned coins returned. Again, returned to who?
4. Proof delivery number. Delivered to who?
5. Proof pieces to the cashier. Was the cashier responsible for storage and distributing?

I do see that Proof coins returned equals the Proof pieces to the cashier.

RogerB

Sparkey64 -- Good questions, one and all. You were good enough to remind me: it's clear these "columns are self-explanatory" is not really true. Readers have to know the mint jargon to make sense of it all.

1. The planchets came from the Coiner and were delivered to the Medal room (part of the same department) on fabric lined wooden trays.
2. The Medal room returned good proof coins, also on trays, to the Coiner's custody.
3. Condemned - defective - pieces were also retuned to the Coiner, but in a box since they would be melted and used to make new coinage strips, and did not need special care.
4. Periodically, the Coiner (or his representative, in this case usually the Medal Clerk) delivered proofs to the Cashier (representing the Superintendent) for sale to the public. Each delivery of coins from the Coiner to the Cashier had a unique number. This applied to proofs as well as circulation coins, but each had a sequence beginning January 1.
5. The Cashier was responsible for sales and order fulfillment as well as tracking payments and returning excess money or requesting additional money from buyers. Most of the work was done in the Medal Department and the Cashier's clerks really just kept track of the money. Proof coins are listed separately on the Cashier's Daily Reports; this is one of the data sources used in compiling the book.

Column 2 shows the quantity of planchets that were struck. In some years, unused planchets were carried forward by the Medal room. Whenever this occurred, I subtracted them from the present year and added the same quantity to the next year. Most of the time, this is explicit in the original journals.

RogerB

PS: All movement of precious metal was logged out of one location and into another -- even within the same department. At the end of the work day, everything had to balance, or the offending department stayed until the error was found.

golden

Very interesting.

ricko

Thanks for the detailed clarification RogerB...Cheers, RickO