Kevin L. asks: What is different about the series 1988 and 1988A on US paper money? One other question – is a set of normal but CU paper money with consecutive numbers valuable?
1. The series date on paper money doesn’t change unless there is a design or signature change. For example, the one dollar series 1988 notes have the signature of Oretega and Brady, the 1988A series has the signatures of Villapando and Brady.
2. Currency with consecutive numbers are not necessarily valuable unless they have some other attribute such as “fancy” numbers or “change-over” signature pairs (number increments and signature changes).
Chris S. writes: I’ve found a 1931 mercury dime which shows strong doubling on the date and lettering on the obverse. How can I tell if this is machine doubling or an actual double die. I have found a 1939 jefferson double die which has been certified and the doubling on the dime looks very similar.
There exists a 1931-D Mercury dime doubled die. It’s very scarce and usually shows up in low grade. You’re correct about the doubling on the date as that is its strongest doubled feature. The inside serif of the first 1, the tail on the 9 the bottom of the 3 and the last one all show very obvious doubling. Hold on to it. It’s a rare coin!
I love the 1939 doubled Monticello nickel. You’re right, the character of the doubling should be the same as your dime.
Irv writes: Hi, I found a small collection of copper cents that I can’t seem to find in coin books. I’ll describe several of them. One has an eagle holding a branch in its right talon and arrows in its left with the date 1791 and one cent on one side. George Washington on the other.
Another has an Indian head with Liberty on the head band, 13 stars around the border and dated 1863. On the reverse are crossed cannons with the words Union 63 and 4 flags and some ivy.
The last says ‘Time is money’, ‘EXIGENCY’, horse and rider in the center with a date of 1863. Reverse inscription on the top ‘MUSSEY’S SPECIAL MESSAGE’ and 50 Williams St New York in the middle.
They are in excellent condition. Any idea where they are from (US cents seem to start at 1793). Are they medals? Are they worth anything? Thanks.
What you have are Civil War “store cards” otherwise referred to as tokens.
One of the casualties of the “War” was small change, there wasn’t any. Coins were being hoarded and since necessity is such a good mother, merchants made their own tokens that passed for half-cents to 25 cent denominations. Foundries made a pretty “penny” minting tokens for desperate store owners. Stock or custom designs were offered to be given out in change in lieu of Federal or Confederate coins. No Confederate coinage was ever minted for circulation; people continued to use what Federal coinage was available to keep commerce going. Collectors call these “good-for” tokens “store cards”.
Beginning in about 1861, metallic currency was gradually withdrawn and hoarded as the Civil War became a reality. Tradesman embraced private issue tokens to take the place of increasingly hard-to-get small change, a situation that plagued commerce during the Civil War in the North. There are Washington motifs as well as tokens that looked like Indian cents or ones that just stated that they were “good for” merchandise at a particular establishment. There are many varieties of the ‘Indian Cent’ tokens and they were minted in various base metals such as copper, brass, nickel, copper-nickel, white metal and sometimes even in silver. Collectors try to collect as many varieties as possible.
It seems that you stumbled upon a small hoard of these wonderful tokens. They are very collectable and can bring from a few dollars for the most commonly seen pieces to hundreds of dollars for the rarer types.
Interestingly, the “one cent” pieces were frowned upon by the government as they were essentially counterfeit money and as we all know, only the government can do that . The manufacturers of the ‘one cent’ tokens added the word “not” to mollify the government agents. So, you may also find coins labeled “not one cent” in your collection. Store cards eventually evolved into an advertising medium with the logo or address of the issuing merchant minted into the token.
Ron D. writes: I have found a coin. It is a 1984 D Dime. It is in very good condition, however, it is completely copper. I thought it might be a miscast coin, but in the numismatic field, I really don’t know. Could you possibly help me in identifying this coin? Thank you in advance.
Dimes, quarters and half dollars are made in a clad “sandwich”. The outer layers are .750 copper and .250 nickel bonded to a pure copper core. Occasionally, part of the strip that is used to cut coin blanks loses the outer layers. The reasons for this are many, but if gas or dirt comes in between the clad layer and the copper they won’t bond correctly.
Coins struck from these defective planchets are underweight but genuine. They classify as a lamination error and collectors will pay a premium of $6 and up for one like you have described.
Timothy F. writes: I have an 1861 Confederate half dollar that I found in Augusta Ga. I have been told that it is a fake. The coin has the same design on both sides with the only difference being one side has the date 1861 and the other side has the words half dol. I would like to find out more info.
The only coin struck under the Confederacy was a prototype half dollar struck at the New Orleans Mint.
When the Confederacy seized the New Orleans Mint there was little bullion for coinage. What was there were the dies for the 1861-O U.S. half dollar. A reverse die showing a shield with a Liberty cap above, surrounded by a wreath and the legend CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA HALF DOL. was married to a Federal half dollar obverse with the familiar Seated Liberty design and the date 1861. Only four coins were struck (one example was in the possession of Jefferson Davis when he was captured at the end of the Civil War). The metal was the same as the original Union coin, 90% silver.
Collectors weren’t aware of the Confederate half dollar until 1879 when an example of the coin along with the obverse and reverse dies were discovered in the care of Dr. B.F. Taylor of New Orleans. The reverse die and the confederate half dollar specimen were purchased by a Philadelphia collector, E. Mason, Jr. Later they were sold to the J.W. Scott & Co. in New York.
The Scott company purchased 500 Federal 1861 New Orleans half dollars, planned off the reverse and struck them with the Confederate reverse die. These “restrikes” of the 1861 Confederate half dollar are easy to tell from the original as the obverses are distorted and flattened by the action of the die on the reverse.
Scott also created tokens in white metal with the Confederate reverse and a special die that was inscribed: 4 ORIGINALS STRUCK BY ORDER OF C.S.A. IN NEW ORLEANS ******* REV. SAME AS U.S. FROM ORIGINAL DIE SCOTT.
There are also two (maybe more) examples with the CSA reverse die after it was cancelled with a chisel. There are also copies of the Scott pieces that were made in the 1960s.
If you have one of the Scott restrikes, you might want to have it authenticated by one of the Coin Grading services. See their links on the CoinSite Links page .
Approximate Value Ranges, depending on grade:
1861 Half Dollar Restrike: $3,000 – $7,000
1861 Scott Token obverse, Confederate reverse: $650 – $2,500
1861 Scott Token copies, circa 1960: $2.
There are no other half dollars associated with The Confederate States of America. Of the years, there have been all kinds of souvenirs made to commemorate the CSA, but all of these are private fabrications, including some non-coinage metal concoctions in lead and white metal. Since they lack the historical perspective of “having been there” they have little or no collector value.
Gail K. writes: I’ve found a 1936 Indian Head nickel. I know it isn’t worth much (which I found out by searching your site!), but I was wondering if I should look for any distinguishing characteristics that might make it more valuable. Any information you can provide would be great! Thanks!
There are two varieties that are worth looking for:
Rick M. asks: I have a Indian Head Cent that is an error and I can’t find any information about it specifically. It has a regular die on the obverse and is smooth and has no die on the reverse.
Your one sided Indian cent is one sided because:
A – Someone planned off the reverse in a machine shop (more common than you think)
B – Something came between the coin and the die when it was struck. Most of the time, that something leaves a visible mark or impression on the blank side. If nothing is visible see A.
Willard R. questions: Is it possible that there is a 1955 doubled die Lincoln cent in the grade of PROOF?
To my knowledge there are no 1955 double die proofs.
Doubled dies are improperly made dies. A new die is struck several times by the master hub; if there is any rotation, parts or all of the design can show misalignment or doubling. Because the dies are struck multiple times to impress the design deeply in the metal, minor doubling is fairly common and virtually unnoticeable except under magnification. Note that every coin struck with a doubled die is identical.
Though many dies are used to strike coins in any given year, only one of the 1955 dies was terribly flawed. It is amazing that no one noticed the obviously doubled obverse image until the coins were already outside the Mint. Note that there are other minor doubled dies from this year.
Since modern proof dies are made differently and the resulting coins are struck one-at-a-time and examined for flaws, it is much less likely that such an obvious defect would go undetected on proofs. By the way, proof is not a grade but a method of manufacture.