The New York herald., 1921-08-28
American Coinage, Past and Present
Coins of Many Varieties Issued Since Massachusetts
Established the First Mint in 1852
rrom the Guarqntu Ne,ps.


Mckinley Memorial.
The only other gold coins authorized
by the United States Government are
the $40 gold pieces. or double eagles, au-
thorlzed in 1s49; the three dollar pieces.
authorized in 1853, and the issuance OF
which was discontinued in 1890 and the
$50 pieces. issued at the time of the
Panama-Pacific Exposition. These were
round or octagonal in shape and few
more than 1900 of each We're minted.
OF the three dollar pieces 539,T92, of a
value OF s1.61a.376. were turusd out
Only one of the $40 pieces was struck
in 1S49, and as the die was destroyed
at the end of the year this one piece
Is unique and OF priceless value. The
silver dollar of 1904 is also rare, as
practically the entire mintage of that
year was lost by shipwreck when on it's
way to China. Since Its establishment
In 1892 the United States Mint has
coined altogether 200, ,s15,OSs gold pieces,
of total value of $3,427,397. .569S0.
Private coinage of gold pieces con-
tinued until the middle of the last GEN.
tury. In 1890 Templeton Reid of Geor-
gia established private mint and for
some time coined $40 gold pieces which
were actually worth $1,000 each. The
discovery Of gold in California led to
the setting up OF numerous private mints
there. One of the coins minted and
freely circulated on the Pacific coast
was $50 octagonal piece and 1t was
to recall that period OF California's de-
velopment that tho octagonal pieces of
the Panama-Paciflc Exposition were is
sued. There were also oblong pieces
valued at s16 each, The Mormons of
Utah likewise had their own peculiar
by the Great Salt Lake.
1t would serve no purpose here to 80
into the details of the history Of the
American silver dollar. The total num-
ber OF standard silver dollars coined
since the establishment of the Mint is
57s.3o3,S4s.
To meet the competition of the Mexi-
can dollar in the Far East Congress
authorized in 1879 the mintlng of the
American trade dollar. The minting of
trade dollars was discontinued in 1887.
after 35,965.92 of them had been issued.
Besides the silver dollars, half dol
lars. quarter dollars and dimes which
continue to be coined under the original
act establishing the monetary system.
the United States has had other silver
coins which are no longer current. The
coinage of the silver half dime, one of
the pieces originally authorized, was
discontinued In 1873, after 97,604,3SS of
them had gone into circulation. A three
cent silver piece was authorized in 1853
and continued to be coined for twenty
years. 42.736,24o of them having been
produced during that time.
Another coin no longer minted or used
was the twenty cent silver piece. au-
thorized in 1875 and discontinued in
1878. or these 1,355,oo0 were ninted
There have been in addition several
special mintings of silver half and quar-
ter. dollars for souvenir purposes, the
most recent and among the most beau
tiful being those issued last year In
connection with the Pilgrim Tercenten-
ary and the State of Maine Centennial.
The total of silver coins minted since
1872 is 2.793,05S.155 and their value
$1.oso.341, ,2S2.s0.
or minor coins there has been a great
variety. These have been made of
nickel. copper and bronze and combina-
tions of nickel and copper. The copper
cents and half cents authorized In 1892
were discontinued In 1857 after $685.
744 of the former and 7,9s5.222 OF the
l.a I..IH
passed out of the coinage system alto
gether, but the cent was replaced with
a cent of nickel, and of these 200,772.-
900 were coined UP to 1864. Then be-
gan the coinage of two cent bronze
pieces and 45,601,00o of these were is
sued during the following nine years.
In 1865 the nickel three cent piece was
put out to the number of 31,37S,316.
In addition to these official minor
coins there have been a great many is
sued by private individuals, particularly
during the civil war. when upward of
5000 varieties Of copper coins got into
circulation. OF the copper half cents.
the minting of which began In 1892, the
entire issue is still outstanding and
more than half Of both the bronze two
cent pieces and the nickel three cent
pieces were never returned to the mints.
Our present bronze cents were author
lied In 1854 and our nickel FIVE cent
pieces in 1866. The total of minor coins
issued by the United States Mint Is
1878, so7.627 and their value s103,597.-
272.96.
The motto 'In God We Trust" was
adopted in 1866 after nationwide dis
cussion, during which some Of the advo-
Gates did not hesitate to declare that
the monetary difficulties Of that time
were doubtless due to the anger of the
Almighty at the failure of the country to
recognize Him in its coinage system.
As has been said. George Washington
declined to permit the representation of
his head upon coins and his scruples IN
this regard effectually banned any mans
picture from our coins until the head of
Lincoln was used on the Lincoln pennies.
tNoTE-When new coins were de-
signed In President Roosevelts Admin
istration the artist omitted I'm God We
Trust" but the motto was restored by
act of Congress.l