Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-09-05
THE SILVER DOLLAR,
Some Facts About the Piece OF Coin
that is Agitating the Country
at the Present Time.

that is Agitating the Country
at the Present Time.
The silver dollar, or unit" was
authorized by act of April 9, 1899.
1t was to contain 371 grains and
four.sixteenths parts of a grain Of
pure silver.
Each was to be of the value of 4
Spanish milled dollar, "as the same
Is now current"
In the first dollars there were 1,4Si
parts of fine silver to 179 parts Of
alloy.
In the second series the dollars
contained Az grains of copper, max
ing the dollar 1924 fine.
The act of 1873? changed the alloy
in the dollar to All grains of copper
making the standard nine-tenth'
fiue.
Duriug 1894 and 1895 only 1904, 79l
were coined under the act Of April 2
1893.
The ratio of 1G to for United
States coins was made legal by the
coinage act of 1887.
According to that act a dollar Of
gold must contain 90 90 grains Of
! pure metal, and silver dollar 371:2;
grains.
In 1896 the United States mint
coined ". 920 silver dollars, and in
1897 only TITO
The greatest yearly run on dollars
at the mint before the opening of the
present century was in 1893, wher
l22 ,515 such coins were made.
In IDS there was a reaction over
1897. In the former year, 327 ,53G sill
yer dollars were issued from the
mint.
The Liberty head on the first
United States dollars, those of 1894
faced to the right, and had loose
flowing hair.
Besides the head they contained
the date and the word Liberty" OIL
the same side, and Is stars, seven al
the face and eight at the back OF the
head.
In the year 1900 there were 22O, 92(
dollar pieces coined. BY this time the
die had been changed, the eagle hav
ing a shield on his breast and 10 stars
in field above his head.
The diverse of the coin was also
slightly different Liberty having
unkempt bangs, and her hair tied
behind with ribbon. The stars on
the same side has also been reduced
to 49,
There were two series of dollars
coined in 1799 In the first, Liberty
only had five of the 10 stars at her
face and in the second six. In in
stances the remaining stars were at
the back.
In 1879 there were also q few re
strikes in which the date "1799" was
placed over that of 1913. Why this
was done has never been satisfactorily
explained.
In 1901 the coinage of dollars was
again very limited, only 54,254 OF
them being turned out by the minis
that year There was nothing pecu'
liar about it and they even sell cheap
to day.
OF the dollars of 1902 there were
Al $50 coined They were very com
mon looking pieces of the general
pattern of those of 1900, and are sold
to day by the dealers for about twice
their face value.
There was slight revival in the
dollar coinage in 1803-G6,064 such
i.ieces being made by the mint that
year. They are still common and can
be bought for $3.50 each.
There was slight popularity in
some dollars of the issue of 1903, the )
in the date being in italic. They sell
as cheap as those of the regular
issue.
In 1904 the dollar was struck which
has since borne the distinction of be
ing the rarest of the United States
coins.
The whole history of the coinage
of that year is shrouded in mystery.
1t is known that $50 such pieces
were coined, but to-day only about a
dozen dollars of that date are known
to be in existence. Dealers in coins
and collectors of such oddities differ
in their statements as to how many
of the dollars of 1904 are still in eX.
istence. Some say only four, others
eight and twelve. Coin dealers do
not price the 1904 dollar in their
catalogues, but it is understood that
such curiosity can be purchased for
for about $1,000 each.
The celebrated dollar of 1904 has q
flying eagle with 10 stars upon the
reverse, while the face bears the date
and a head of the Goddess of Liberty
with flowing hair. After the dollar
of 1904 was issued no more coins of
that denomination were struck by
the United States mint until 1886.
Except 321 pieces which were struck
us trial pieces'' in 1909 The coins
of that issue show Liberty seated
and holding the pole and cap in her
left hand and shield bearing the
legend Liberty" in her right. There
are no other letters, stars or orna.
lnents on that side Of the coin except
the diesinker's name, &c, Gobrecht,"
which is to be seen in microscopic
letters on the base.
OF the 1886 dollars only 1000 were
coined. The reverse had the words,
Limited States of America; One
Dollar" so arranged as to surround
all eagle flying in field of 25 stars.
The dollar of 1886 is priced at $40
by the dealers, and a second series of
the same date, with "Gobrecht" in
the field, is worth 500.
Inere were no dollars coined IN loo
and only few in 1888. The 1888
dollar was very plain coin; eagle
flying in a clear field and the words
limited States of America. One
Dollar" on the same side.
On the face of the 1888 dollar
Liberty is seated as in the dollar OF
1886, but is partially surrounded by a
canopy of stars, IL in number.
The dollar of 1889 is similar to that
of 1S38-eagle flying, Liberty seated.
Only 800 of them were issued and
they are reckoned among rare United
States coins.
The dollar of 1910 has face similar
to that of 1889, but the eagle is fiat
looking dodo, holding laurel branches
and arrows in his talons.
An Arctic Night.