2 1/2 Dollars, United States, 1908 (Sandblast Proof)
date: label: Date made
content: 1908
name: label: mint
content: United States Mint
label: designer
content: Pratt, Bela Lyon
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) 2 1/2 dollar coin
label: Description (Brief)
content: United States, 1908
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: Left-facing Native American wearing a feathered headdress. 13 stars along coin edge.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1908
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: Eagle standing on bunch of arrows and branch, wings folded.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / E PLURIBUS UNUM / IN GOD WE TRUST / 2 1/2 DOLLARS
label: Description
content: Proof coins could be struck for technical appraisal or simply for collectors. This one was struck for collectors, although a different version did indeed enter circulation. The sandblast finish was an experimental feature that might have made this proof more appealing to collectors. Circulating coins had a hazy-mint luster finish. One might wonder whether gold coins were typical in daily life during the early 1900's and what role they played in the lives of ordinary people. Even small denominations like the quarter eagle were not typical as everyday pocket change. In 1910, the average American worker earned less than $15 for a 48-60 hour work week. So two dollars and fifty cents could easily represent more than a day's wages. But for people who might actually lay hands on this new style coin, one of its unique features --the incuse or engraved design-- brought an unexpected health concerns. Some people wondered if germs would collect in the crevices and assault the unwary. These fears dissipated when no evidence that the coins were communicating disease emerged.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: place of issue
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: Coins, Currency and Medals
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0441.1290
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0441.1290
label: accession number
content: 1985.0441
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (overall metal)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis measurement)
label: Physical Description
content: struck (overall production method)
label: Measurements
content: overall:;