Jim O. writes: Doc: While metal detecting an old farm near my house, I found what I believe is a centennial “card” from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Although I have found some information on this Exhibition and the “cards” associated with it, I cannot seem to find this particular “card” in any of these reference materials. The “card” is round, about 26 mm in diameter and made of copper or brass. It has a bust of George Washington on the front and an engraving of the Exhibition’s Memorial Hall, along with the words “EXHIBITION”, “PHILADELPHIA” and “CENTENNIAL” and the date 1876, on the back. Any idea where I can find information about this particular “card” and what it may be worth?
You have a Washington medal from the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876. It was originally conceived as an American Fair to celebrate the centennial but expanded into a World’s Fair with exhibitions of arts, agriculture and manufacturing. Every country with diplomatic relations with the United States was represented.
The fair was held in Philadelphia from May 10 to November 10, 1876. There were five buildings built in Fairmount Park: a Main Exhibition building, Memorial Hall (an art gallery), Horticultural Hall, Agricultural Hall and Machinery Hall. The fairground covered about seventy-five acres. The Main Exhibition Building covered 21 acres. Around 10 million visitors attended. There are enough different Washington medals from this fair to start a challenging collection. The Centennial Memorial Building medal was struck in gilt, copper and white metal. Value range in average circulated condition US$35-$60.
John W. writes: For almost 50 years I have been trying without success to identify this item. Thank you.
This is one of those cases where the item is “in the style of”. This is not a coin, but a decoration, most likely part of some other piece of jewelry. It is “in the style of” a California gold dollar.
Beginning around 1852 and continuing to about 1856, privately minted gold coins were minted from local California gold in fractional amounts ($1, 50 cents and 25 cents). Many of the issuers were jewelers.
After about 1882 the United States government frowned on using these tokens as money as they had long past their use as emergency money and only the government has the authority to mint coins. Nevertheless, pieces with dates from 1852-1856 and later continued to circulate in the West until as late as 1916.
Some jewelers copied the design for use in jewelry but wary of the disapproval of the government, altered the design so they wouldn’t be accused of “making money”. The alterations consisted leaving off the denomination or altering the date to something absurd, like 1807.
California gold tokens were also sold at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. These undated pieces do not have the stature of the original California gold. Later, in the 1950’s, copies of these tokens in brass featuring bears were created, primarily to defraud collectors not knowledgeable about California gold coins.
Note that merchant tokens were used extensively in England from 1790 – 1815 during the coinage shortage there and in the U.S. during the Bank of the United States crises during the Jacksonian era of 1832-44 and then again during the Civil War (1861-65). In almost all cases the need was for small change. Cents and half cents were non existent. Copper merchant tokens took up the slack (See “Condor” or “Hard Times” tokens for more information).
I can’t tell what metal your piece is made of from your photo, but pieces like this have no numismatic value though if gold, would be probably worth less than US$15.
Also see: California Fractional gold coins
Jack O writes: In the compositions you provide for US gold coins both before and after the change from 91.7% to 90% fine (in 1838??), you give them all as gold + copper. I read somewhere once that, like the UK gold Sovereign coin, the earlier US gold issues were actually gold+silver and/or gold+silver+copper. Does this ring any bells, and if so do you know the relevant dates? A million thanks.
Early U.S. gold coins (1795-1834) consisted of a composition of .9167 gold and .0833 silver and copper. From 1834-1837 the composition was .8992 gold and .1008 silver and copper. In 1837 gold coin composition was changed to .900 gold and .100 copper and that formula continued until the cessation of gold coinage in 1933.
Modern U.S. commemorative gold Eagles and Half Eagles, commencing with the 1984 Olympic $10 and the 1986 Statue of Liberty $5, continue the .900 gold, .100 copper composition of the earlier coins.
American Eagle gold bullion and proof coins are composed of .9167 gold, .03 silver and .0533 copper. The American Buffalo gold bullion and proof coins are .9999 fine gold as are the First Spouse series of $10 gold coins. The 2009 (MMIX) version of the Ultra High Relief $20 coin is .999 fine gold.
Donna G. writes: I have a 1998 quarter with George Washington’s head on one side and on the opposite side is the 2000 golden dollar eagle. I have not been able to find it in any ref. books or catalogs I am trying to see what the value is and/or where I can get it appraised
You have a coin constructed from two other coins in a machine shop. For a “mule” to exist, that is dies from two completely different coins mixed to create a composite coin, there would have to be a common planchet (coin blank) not two different blanks fused together. Also, there were no Sacagawea dollars in 1998 so such a mule couldn’t exist.
This coin is used in magic tricks and for other novelty purposes. Similar pieces can be purchased in a hobby or novelty shop for about $8. See: Magic Coins.
If you believe this is a United States mint struck coin, you can easily determine if you coin is a valuable error simply by weighing the coin. A clad quarter weighs exactly 5.67 grams. A quarter struck on a modern dollar blank would weigh exactly 8.1 grams. If your quarter weighs the same as a dollar coin then you should have it authenticated by the American Numismatic Association, PCGS or NGC. See their links on the CoinSite Links page for information about their authentication services.
Genuine Sacagawea dollar mules, the first mules in United States history, have been discovered. So far, seven pieces have been found. This error was created by using a setup for a dollar and inserting a quarter die for the obverse, creating a coin with the obverse of a quarter and the reverse of a dollar struck on a dollar planchet.
The Washington quarter/Sacagewea dollar mules have sold at prices from $28,000 to more than $40,000. Note that this coin is struck on a Sacagawea dollar blank and shows a 2000 Washington quarter obverse and a Sacagawea reverse.
Tom P. writes: Hi, I have been trying to find some information on a coin I have a 1792 washington half dollar and I can’t find out anything about it, that is, its worth and its history. So I was wondering if you could help me out. Tom
There are no official coins dated 1792 with a portrait of Washington (The mint didn’t open until 1793 and the first half dollar wasn’t struck until 1794). The first instance of a official coin with the portrait of George Washington was the quarter dated 1932.
However, there are many Washington pieces, thousands of them, struck over the years as commemoratives or patterns for purposed coinage. Pieces, later called “Washington Half Dollars”, are dated 1792 and are essentially private presidential commemoratives. There are least a dozen Washington pieces that are called by this name.
The general design of these pieces feature the bust of Washington, facing left, surrounded by the legend “(G.) Washington President”. The date, 1792 is below. The reverse features an Eagle with open wings, a shield at center and 13 stars above the eagle’s head. These were struck in silver, 31.5 mm (about 5 known), gold (unique), and copper (31 mm) (several varieties) only a few know with some varieties being unique.
Another piece, minted essentially as a test of the Mint’s first coinage press, were struck at Harper’s coachhouse in Philadelphia on 6th street probably in late September or early October of 1792. This was the same location where the 1,500 or so 1792 half-dismes were purportedly struck from Martha Washington’s silverware. The only known specimen of this “Washington Half Dollar” (no stars on reverse) has a pedigree going back to 1831 and has resided in the Lorin G. Parmelee, Garrett and John Hopkins University collections. It brought $16,500 in the 1981 Garrett sale. Other varieties exist with values from $3,000 – $40,000.
Struck copies of “Washington Half Dollars” in silver and brass were made by the coin dealer, William Idler, beginning in about 1858. Most have the word “COPY’ at left of the eagle’s tail (values from about $50 -$400). Some pieces have had the word tooled off the coin for nefarious purposes. Muled dies of the Idler copies are also found as “store cards”, that is, tokens used as emergency money during the coin shortage caused by the Civil War (1861-65).
Electrotypes, and die struck counterfeits of these pieces are common. Pieces in a similar style were privately minted for the centennial celebrations in 1876 as souvenirs. Others are worthless fakes. If you believe you have an example of the original 1792 Washington “half dollar”, you will need to have the piece authenticated. You can contact the American Numismatic Association, NGC or PCGS. See their links on the CoinSite Links Page.
Jim Smith writes: I have a sterling silver proof set of $20 dollar Virgin Island coins, 25 coins in the set from 1985. Queen Elizabeth on one side and a lost or found treasure on the other side. Each coin depicts a different treasure. They were minted by the Franklin Mint (2500 sets) and are legal tender. What is the current value and where does one find this type of information for these coins.
These commemorative issues were created by agreement by the Franklin Mint and the government of the British Virgin Islands. Franklin Mint, a private organization, paid a fee to mint these coins in the name of BVI. They promoted them and marketed them to collectors.
Since the British Virgin Islands does not have their own currency, they use United States dollars, therefore these “coins” could hardly be called “Legal Tender”. The policy of the BVI government seems to be that they will trade them for face value when the silver content exceeds the face value. So, technically they could be legal tender under the above circumstances. Since these “coins” contain .5678 troy ounce of pure silver, silver would have to be trading at more than $36 per troy ounce before the banks in BVI are going to line up to buy these things. As of the date of this writing, silver is currently trading at around $20 a troy ounce.
These still are attractive coins and thus there may be a potential premium over their silver value. See your local coin dealer.
Shawna R. writes: I have a States of the Union 50 state solid bronze collector’s coin set… copyright 1969, from shell oil company. They are of the 50 states. The first 13 were ratified and on the reverse side tells their state nickname,flower, and bird. The rest state when they were admitted and all the details. Its got an eagle at the top and a single star at the bottom. The front has the name of the state and a outline of the state and the number.
The state medals weren’t the only issue by the Shell Oil Company during the late 50’s and 60’s. They made a series of Presidential medals as well. These medals were given out free with a purchase of gasoline. You were given one medal per purchase. The idea was to accumulate the complete set.
Exonumia Collectors (those that collect tokens and medals) like to buy these coins and medals in complete sets in the Shell Oil company supplied holders. Complete sets in new condition sell between $50 -$75 at exonumia auctions.
Kathy & Tim write: Can you supply information about a United State 1806 cent overstamped 1807? It is in fair condition.
There are a great number of die varieties on early U.S. coins because of the crude method of manufacture. Dies were expensive and it was the usual practice to make working dies that were missing the lettering and dates. The lettering and dates were punched in by hand as the dies were needed.
Sometimes a dated die was left over from a previous year that was still in serviceable condition. The last year digit was filled in and then the new digit was punched into that place on the die. The 1807/6 was a case where the workman didn’t take the trouble to remove the digit but simply stamped the “7” over the “6”. There are two known dies where there was no effort made to remove the “6”. These two varieties are the most notorious of the repunched coins of the Draped Bust Large Cents (1796-1807):
I’ll assume that your coin is not in “Fair” condition (almost not identifiable) but is in VG to about VF condition (average circulated).
Variety I – Blunt “one” of date (“7” in virtual contact with bottom of the draped bust): – Value range in the above grades: $1,500 – $10,000+ (higher grade pieces are worth a good deal more).
Variety II – Pointed “one” of date (“7” does not touch bottom of draped bust). This variety is also called Large 7 over 6. Value range in the above grades: $15 – $200+ (higher grade pieces are worth double or triple this price).
If you wish, you can have your coin authenticated and attributed by the American Numismatic Association or graded by NGC or PCGS. See the Coinsite Links Page for further information.