Options
Why do coins from New Orleans have an "O" mint mark?
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
Shouldn't it have been N?
San Francisco minted coins have S and not F so why is New Orleans different?
San Francisco minted coins have S and not F so why is New Orleans different?
0
Comments
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt
<< <i>New Orleans has always been quite different than SF. >>
And they are both different than Carson City.
Then again, we have "S" for San Francisco instead of "SF", so one indeed wonders why they didn't use an "N".
In Imperial Germany (and later), their mintmark letters had no correspondence to the first letter of the mint name.
So you had "A" for Berlin, "B" for Hannover, "C" for Frankfurt, "D" for Munich, etc.
Why do coins from San Francisco have a "S" mint mark?
Shouldn't it have been F?
New Orleans minted coins have O and not N so why is San Francisco different?
But I guess logic doesn't always prevail.
An S doesn't look like another letter. An F could be mistaken for an E.
When you're talking about tiny letters on coins, readability counts!
Another (dumb) theory: The guy who made the decision for San Francisco said "F," but the guy who carried it out heard "S."
http://www.shieldnickels.net
I am here all day folks!!!
BHNC #203
Although I am not certain of the reason why "O" was used, this would seem to be the most plausible.
<< <i>O was used for New Orleans, per my understand because at the time there was some discussion of opening a mint in New York, and the N was reserved for NY >>
Have never heard that theory, but it is plausible.
Or perhaps it was just different people making the decision at different times, and one thought that the initial of the principal word in the name (Orleans) was more important, while the other thought that the initial of the first word in the name (San) was more important.
TD
==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades
Successful, problem free and pleasant transactions with: illini420, coinguy1, weather11am,wayneherndon,wondercoin,Topdollarpaid,Julian, bishdigg,seateddime, peicesofme,ajia,CoinRaritiesOnline,savoyspecial,Boom, TorinoCobra71, ModernCoinMart, WTCG, slinc, Patches, Gerard, pocketpiececommems, BigJohnD, RickMilauskas, mirabella, Smittys, LeeG, TomB, DeusExMachina, tydye
when one doesn't know the answer, then one researches the subject and finds the answer
https://photos.app.goo.gl/a6kwqbXrBhxnawsk6
and of the Centre-Val de Loire) in France called Orleans and also the Duke of Orleans, according
to which historical reference you use. As New Orleans was founded in 1718 and was during the reign
of the Duke of Orleans. Realizing that this city was founded by French colonists, I would imagine that
use of the letter N would have not been a consideration, but O would and was. Just an opinion.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
website (http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/mint_facilities/?action=timeline) New York was never considered as
a future US Mint facility throughout the Mint history. Although, many, many other cities were.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
<< <i>But I guess logic doesn't always prevail. >>
Correct LordM...especially when dealing with government bureaucracies.... Cheers, RickO
<< <i>I would guess that it was because New Orleans was named after a capital city(Loiret department
and of the Centre-Val de Loire) in France called Orleans and also the Duke of Orleans, according
to which historical reference you use. As New Orleans was founded in 1718 and was during the reign
of the Duke of Orleans. Realizing that this city was founded by French colonists, I would imagine that
use of the letter N would have not been a consideration, but O would and was. Just an opinion.
Jim >>
This answer is probably closest to the truth.
I worked in Orlean for 6 weeks years ago, beautiful area , and lots of castles. Oh, and a river that flows over another river. LOL
website (http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/mint_facilities/?action=timeline) New York was never considered as
a future US Mint facility throughout the Mint history. Although, many, many other cities were.
Although this may be on the Mint's website, it doesn't reflect reality - there were significant political struggles in Congress throughout the first half of the 19th century or so to locate a mint in New York.
New York was the country's commercial center and where the money was - it cost the merchants of New York time and money to send their bullion and foreign coins to Philadelphia to be minted into US coins.
The political squabbling didn't end until the US Assay Office was established in New York in 1854 (as part of the political deal that established the SF mint).
Check out the Southern Gold Society
"Traveling to Orleans today".
I think they always just dropped the "New".
bob
<< <i>I think they chose the "O" mint mark just to screw with collectors. >>
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Slightly more serious, and O is an easier punch to make than an N? I have no idea...
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
<< <i>O was used for New Orleans, per my understand because at the time there was some discussion of opening a mint in New York, and the N was reserved for NY >>
( we have west point to now unless if im missing something here )
He also says that the Mint hierarchy probably kept this in mind when they were assigning mint marks in the 1830's, and left "N" open for possible future assignment to New York. That never happened and New York got the big Assay Office instead, which seemed to quiet down calls for a Mint.
TD