1 Dollar, United States, 1794
date: label: date made
content: 1794
name: label: mint
content: U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
label: obverse designer
content: Scot, Robert
label: reverse designer
content: Scot, Robert
notes: label: Description
content: The first silver dollars-and the first silver half dollars-were delivered on the same day, October 15, 1794. Chief coiner Henry Voigt was responsible for 5,300 half dollars that day, and they apparently went into commerce as soon as they were released.
label: Description
content: The dollars were another matter. Precisely 1,758 of them were coined on the fifteenth, and they were immediately delivered to Mint Director David Rittenhouse for distribution to dignitaries as souvenirs.
label: Description
content: The VIPs were not impressed with what they saw. The dollars were struck on the largest press the mint possessed, but the machine was originally intended for cents and half dollars. The only way it had proved adequate for striking the copper pattern was by striking the piece twice.
label: Description
content: The impressions it gave with a single blow were weak, a situation not helped by the fact that the obverse die was damaged early on and had to be polished down along one part of its circumference. This resulted in its making an even weaker impression. So the new federal dollar was not a brilliant success. But it was a first-and sometimes that's success enough.
label: Description
content: Precisely 1,758 of these silver dollars, the first ever minted for circulation by the United States, were coined on October 15, 1794. All were immediately delivered to the Mint Director for distribution to dignitaries as souvenirs. The largest press the mint possessed still was not big enough to give a strong impression with a single blow, hence the weak relief on these coins.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: city
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: province
content: United States: Pennsylvania
label: country
content: United States
label: political area
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: Coins
label: See more items in
content: Numismatics
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content: Coins, Currency and Medals
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content: Legendary Coins
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Zoomable Image and Details
label: Related Publication
content: Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Chase Manhattan
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1979.1263.00334
label: accession number
content: 1979.1263
label: collector/donor number
content: CM01510
label: catalog number
content: 1979.1263.00334
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .23 cm x 3.88 cm; 3/32 in x 1 17/32 in