One of the really fun parts of coin collecting is that of thinking of coins as “history in your hand.” Our first officially minted U.S. coins were minted in 1792, and most coin dates that start with “17” are not cheap these days. To think that maybe that 1798 large cent in your collection was once held by George Washington, John Quincy Adams, or Thomas Jefferson is a great side benefit of coin collecting.
Here are some interesting facts about U.S. coinage that you may not know.
The first “American” coin, though not official, was the Fugio cent, designed by Ben Franklin. It consisted of 13 chain links together and a sun dial. Fugio is Latin for “time flies.” These are rare and are highly collectible.
The first U.S. coins were the 1792 half-disme, of silver, which eventually was called the half-dime, worth five cents.
“In God We Trust” first appeared on the two cent coin, starting in 1865, during the Civil War.
Morgan silver dollars were minted in Carson City, Nevada, for thirteen of the years between 1878 and 1893. Millions of these were stored away in government vaults until the 1970’s. Why were so many minted and then never used? Politics in Congress, to make sure the silver of the Comstoke Lode in Nevada was purchased!
Do you know why Franklin D. Roosevelt is featured on our current dime, starting in 1946, shortly after he died in 1945? He had polio, and the March of Dimes fought childhood diseases like polio. It made great sense to honor FDR with his bust on the dime.
Congress had a long-time law that decreed a coin design could not change for 25 years. They set their own law aside to honor President Kennedy with his new half dollar in 1964, only months after his assassination in November, 1963. That is why the Franklin half dollar was minted only 16 years, from 1948 through 1963.
Currently, why did we have so many changes in the Lincoln cent last three years? Honest Abe was born in 1809. He first appeared on the cent in 1909. In 2009, one hundred years later, the Lincoln cent turned 100, and it marked the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln.
Learn more about those miniature history lessons in your pocket. The Brown County Coin Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month, at the Family Center of Austin Avenue Church of Christ. Meetings provide a great opportunity to learn all about coin collecting. There’s probably at least one club member who shares an interest with you and would guide you in the basics. Get involved in coin collecting!
We hope to see you on March 13, at 6:30, for our next meeting. Call Bill Cooper at 325-642-2128 or me, Bob Turner, at 325-217-4129 for more information.
