Thread: YRIVIA: Too Many Coins!

One of my favorite things to do is to read all the "letters to the editor" in every issue of all the coin publications I subscribe to and check all the complaints, new coin finds, mint ordering problems, suggestions, pet peeves, etc. Lately the overwhelming subject is whether to do away with the one cent and five cent coins because each coin costs more than face value to produce. (recent declines in metal prices render this to be untrue, especially for nickels).

About 50% are pro-elimination and 50% are pro-keeping them.


All of you who are concerned about the government spending too much to keep the cent and nickel, let me ask you this: "Is there any United States government branch or department that makes a profit?"

The Creation of the United States Mint wasn't to make a profit. It was created to produce a sound coinage that would be accepted at face value throughout the United States. This has been done so successfully other countries have tied their currency to the U.S. Dollar or use the same denominations in their coinage ( i.e. Cent, Five Cents, Ten Cents, 25 Cents, 50 Cents and One Dollar).

The second most numerous voiciferous collectors are complaining about the high number of mint creations. Not about circulation coins. Not about mint sets or proof sets. Not about bullion coins. But about the number of commemorative coins being foistured on the numismatic market. Specifically the State Quarters, Presidential Dollars, President Wives gold pieces and the like.

You know what? This complaint echoes back to the numismatic complainer of 1936.

Yes, 1936! Just look at what the numismatist of '36 had to contend with (Most photos courtesy of Coin Facts unless noted):

1) Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati...egon_trail.htm



2) Texas Independence Centennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati...alf_dollar.htm



3) Arkansas Indepence Centennial Half Dollar Type 1:
1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati...alf_dollar.htm


4) Arkansas Independence Centennial Half Dollar Type 2:
1936-Philadelphia

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati...n_arkansas.htm



5) California - Pacific International Exposition Half Dollar (struck in '35 and '36):
1936-Denver (Photos of 1935-S courtesy of Coin Page):




Here's the obverse:

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=6358


Here's the reverse:

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=6359



6) Providence, Rhode Island Tercentary Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

(Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-714.html



7) Cleveland Centennial / Great Lakes Exposition Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia:

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1947


Reverse (Coin Page)::

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1948



8) Wisconsin Territorial Centennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1539


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1540


9) Cincinnati Music Center Half Dollar:

1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1159


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1160



10) Long Island Tercentary Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=2772


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=858


11) York County, Maine Tercentary Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=2722


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=2723


12) Bridgeport, Connecticut Centennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

Obverse:

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=4059


Reverse:

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=4060



13) Lynchburg, Virginia Sesquicentennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati.../lynchburg.htm



14) Elgin, Illinois Centennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=934


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=935



15) Albany, New York Charter Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati...ems/albany.htm



16) San Franciusco - Oakland Bay Bridge Opening Half Dollar:
1936-San Francisco:

http://www.coinfacts.com/commemorati...bay_bridge.htm



17) Columbia, South Carolina Sesquicentennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1431


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1432



18) Delaware Tercentary Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

(Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-1186.html



19) Battle of Gettysburg Anniversary Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia (photos courtesy Coinpage):

Obverse:

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3303


Reverse:

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=1230



20) Norfolk, Virginia Bicentennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia

Obverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=709


Reverse (Coin Page):

http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=710


21) Daniel Boone Bicentennial Half Dollar:
1936-Philadelphia
1936-Denver
1936-San Francisco

(Photo courtesy Money Museum):

http://www.richmondfed.org/about_us/...s/boonhalf.cfm


A total of 35 commemorative Half Dollar coins!

Hope you enjoyed the tour....

Clinker

Why is your font so large?
Way too much scrolling involved.
When I see it I just go on to the next thread.

Didn't the mint stop making commems shortly after that? Really sad. I hope the mint can quit being greedy and really focus on the quality and not quantity of coins. Nice trivia once again. Thanks for taking the time to put these together. PS I like the large font. Good for those of us with bad eyes.

Originally Posted by kanga

When I see it I just go on to the next thread.

Not this time.
I think that with all the links having a smaller font, it would make it hard to navigate to each picture. This makes it easier to make sure you don't miss any.

The large font bothers me personally.
I wasn't speaking for anyone else.
That's why I didn't flame the OT for doing it that way.

I can understand "older" eyes preferring it (I'm 66 and wear trifocals.)

But for me to comprehend a post, I find it easier if I can see the idea in a window or two so I can refer back by looking up and down rather than scrolling.

Just a personal preference.

Originally Posted by kanga

Why is your font so large?
Way too much scrolling involved.
When I see it I just go on to the next thread.

ah yes!............scrolling! some of us don't much care to scroll.......much.

Th Mint is full of you know what if they claim to be losing money over the costs of producing the cent and nickel. How high are the profits on such coins as the dime and quarter? I'm sure the quarter alone makes up 50 fold whatever they lost on metal purchases on the 1 and 5 cent coins. Every business in the world loses money on certain products because they more than make up for on others. Thats business. We're supposed to sympathize with them not making a few billion morein profits?
Guy~

With the mark up the US mint uses on precious metal bullion combined with high prices they charge for proofs, mint sets, commemoratives, bags and rolls.

How can they not make a profit?

Originally Posted by kanga

The large font bothers me personally.
I wasn't speaking for anyone else.
That's why I didn't flame the OT for doing it that way.

I can understand "older" eyes preferring it (I'm 66 and wear trifocals.)

But for me to comprehend a post, I find it easier if I can see the idea in a window or two so I can refer back by looking up and down rather than scrolling.

Just a personal preference.

How hard is it to scroll?

stainless

Originally Posted by stainless

How hard is it to scroll?

stainless

Scrolling isn't so hard.
Keeping my head wrapped around the idea of the thread is what's hard.
And FOR ME it's easier if I can see it all at once.

Originally Posted by Harryj

With the mark up the US mint uses on precious metal bullion combined with high prices they charge for proofs, mint sets, commemoratives, bags and rolls.

How can they not make a profit?

Hi Harry,
The mint makes its money off me mostly... well anyway, it seems like it.
Yesterday I received notice the 2008 Silver Proof Mint Sets are on their way.
This year, only one set for me as the prices are getting too high, $49.90 for me to buy one for each of the four grandkids, too. I know it is an investment for them, but it is just a hobby (yeh, right) for me, and right now it is all about *me*.
jeankay

Originally Posted by jeankay

Hi Harry,
The mint makes its money off me mostly... well anyway, it seems like it.
Yesterday I received notice the 2008 Silver Proof Mint Sets are on their way.
This year, only one set for me as the prices are getting too high, $49.90 for me to buy one for each of the four grandkids, too. I know it is an investment for them, but it is just a hobby (yeh, right) for me, and right now it is all about *me*.
jeankay

"Me" is good!

Originally Posted by kanga

Why is your font so large?
Way too much scrolling involved.
When I see it I just go on to the next thread.

Thanks for the input and the rapport with other Coin Talk members...


Clinker

I always wondered why so many early commemoratives came out in 1936. I came to realize that a while ago and while I absolutely love the old pre-1980's commem's, it seemed like overkill on the Mint's part.

Man oh man look at all those issues, and people today have the nerve to say the mint puts out too many commemoratives? Mild by comparison. Can you imagine trying to assemble a collection of all those halfs back then? People today say commems' are getting too pricey. Back then I think a set of halves went for $8 or $9 bucks a pop (if I'm wrong please feel free to chime in and correct me). That was a lot of money back then...remember, depression. Not only that, no internet. I think you had to get them from Stacks. Not sure if you could order directly from the mint in those days. Anybody know for sure?