That Nagging Feeling

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pmh1nic
pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

A while back I posted a picture of my set of coins minted in the year 1900. Some chimed it that the set didn’t include the Layafette Dollar. My thought at the time was “it’s a commemorative coin, I don’t need it as part of the set”.

Unfortunately there remained that nagging feeling that the set wasn’t complete. I pushed it aside but it kept nagging away at me. I finally broke down, found one I could afford and purchased it.

One interesting note I found is that the Lafayette Dollar is the first U.S. legal tender coin with a portrait of Washington on it. All of the 50,000 coins were minted on one day, December 14th, 1899. Actually there was some controversy about dating coins minted in 1899 with the year 1900 on them but the powers that be wanted the date on the coin to coincide with the date of the Paris Exposition to be held in 1900.

On the reverse of the coin is the inscription “Erected by the youth in the United States…” that refers to a fund raising effort by students to help raise the $50,000 needed to build the statue of Lafayette that was to be unveiled at the Paris Exhibition.

Here is the coin I got.


The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin

Comments

  • johnny010
    johnny010 Posts: 1,858 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Nice story. Glad you shared it makes the coin much more interesting… 12/14/1899.

  • braddick
    braddick Posts: 25,190 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

  • braddick
    braddick Posts: 25,190 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Also, is the circle on the reverse a scratch on the plastic?
    And the horse's tail has an interesting strike going on.

  • pmh1nic
    pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 31, 2023 1:10PM
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    Braddick

    I took another picture of the reverse and it seems the circle had something to do with the lightening or Iphone I used. It doesn't appear in this photo.

    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin
  • lermish
    lermish Posts: 5,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 31, 2023 2:55PM
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    @braddick said:
    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

    Looks like 3D which is roughly an eighth of the extant coins. The major diagnostic on the reverse is indeed the leaf placement. Here is my new purchase which I just received this morning!

    https://instagram.com/p/CqdQQuRr1DV/embed/

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

  • jesbroken
    jesbroken Posts: 11,253 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Is there a reason that PCGS does not list it among their price list for Commemorative Silver? Maybe because it was a dollar coin/commem?
    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
  • lermish
    lermish Posts: 5,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @lermish said:

    @braddick said:
    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

    Looks like 3D which is roughly an eighth of the extant coins. The major diagnostic on the reverse is indeed the leaf placement. Here is my new purchase which I just received this morning!

    The Swiatek book (and Coinfacts) lists 3D as very rare but a Numismatic News article from 2008 lists it as ~15%. So I dunno?

    Also @jesbroken , it is listed with all of the other silver commems:

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

  • pmh1nic
    pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @braddick said:
    Also, > @lermish said:

    @braddick said:
    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

    Looks like 3D which is roughly an eighth of the extant coins. The major diagnostic on the reverse is indeed the leaf placement. Here is my new purchase which I just received this morning!

    https://instagram.com/p/CqdQQuRr1DV/embed/

    @lermish said:

    @braddick said:
    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

    Looks like 3D which is roughly an eighth of the extant coins. The major diagnostic on the reverse is indeed the leaf placement. Here is my new purchase which I just received this morning!

    Yea, mine looks like a 3-D. When PCGS refers to it as “very rare”, what does that mean regard the actual numbers?

    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin
  • lermish
    lermish Posts: 5,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @pmh1nic said:

    @braddick said:
    Also, > @lermish said:

    @braddick said:
    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

    Looks like 3D which is roughly an eighth of the extant coins. The major diagnostic on the reverse is indeed the leaf placement. Here is my new purchase which I just received this morning!

    @lermish said:

    @braddick said:
    Nice!
    I know some varieties are scarce or even rare.
    (Something to do with the date placement and leaves above the date?)

    Looks like 3D which is roughly an eighth of the extant coins. The major diagnostic on the reverse is indeed the leaf placement. Here is my new purchase which I just received this morning!

    Yea, mine looks like a 3-D. When PCGS refers to it as “very rare”, what does that mean regard the actual numbers?

    It looks like PCGS basically copied the Swiatek book and I have no idea what he meant by very rare. But that book was published in 1990 so it's understandable if the numbers are a little wonky. Regarding other coins, I've always taken very rare to mean fewer than 10-20ish and that scarce is more properly used otherwise.

    But even if 3D is 1% of the total population, that is 1% of roughly 7000 straight graded examples between PCGS and NGC. So maybe 10-12k (???) survivors including Details coins and non-slabbed. I personally do not view a (potential) population of 100+ as very rare or even just plain rare.

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @pmh1nic... Well now you can rest easy... I know about those nagging feelings... My worst case was when building my CC Morgan set... The O/CC bothered me until I got one... Wasn't really necessary... but it was out there. ;) Cheers, RickO

  • oldabeintx
    oldabeintx Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Until recently the half disme was considered a pattern coin. Now that it appears as a coin meant for circulation I have this nagging feeling that I need one to complete my type set....

  • pmh1nic
    pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @oldabeintx said:
    Until recently the half disme was considered a pattern coin. Now that it appears as a coin meant for circulation I have this nagging feeling that I need one to complete my type set....

    Unfortunately the only cure is getting one…lol

    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin

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