What? Not Two Cent Pieces? Nope I'm woefully low on Seated Coinage but I always like the 1853 quarter and half with rays and arrows. Well guess what walked in the door on Tuesday at work. A matching set and now part of the clembo collection. Not rare but an interesting one year type coin. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x275/clembo1872/scan0016-2.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x275/clembo1872/scan0017-1.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x275/clembo1872/scan0018-3.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x275/clembo1872/scan0019-1.jpg I've seen a few of the quarters at work but always harshly cleaned. First half I've seen since I've been there and both are "good and dirty". Hope you like them. clembo
CONGRATS! I too find these two coins extremely attractive and hope to one day own a nice example of each. Great addition to the collection.
Nice work ! Interesting design. Gotta love those rays around the eagle. :thumb: I was scouting some in the latest Heritage auction, but didn't "pull the trigger".
Nice coins, clembo! I've always liked the Seated quarter with rays design. Wonder why they didn't stick with that look? Guy~
The Rays were placed on the reverse to signify a reduction of weight in 1853. Part of that production year and before had a weight of 103.1 grains. The rest of 1853 and after had a weight of 96 grains. I guess they figured that they didnt need the rays on the reverse after the weight was reduced. Thats my honest opinion.
What I have read explained it this way: When the price of silver rose to the point that the silver in 90% silver coins was worth more than the face value of the coins entrepreneurs melted the coins for a profit. The US Mint reduced the silver content of 90% silver coins so the silver content no longer exceeded the face value of the coins. Arrows and rays were added so the reduced-weight coins could be easily distinguished from their heavier predecessors making it easy for the public to identify the reduced-silver (and for bank tellers to remove the pre-weight-reduction coins from circulation for recoining). The reverse rays were removed after only one year because of difficulties in preparing the dies with rays. Between the bank tellers and the entrepreneurs it did not take long before nearly all the earlier coins were removed from circulation making the remaining distinguishing marks (arrows) unneeded. So in 1856 the arrows were removed (only to return in 1873 & '74 to signify an increase in weight).
You must have found a more detailed explanation than I did. Yours makes more sense than what I found. Thanks for the further info Hobo!!! Here is where I found my brief descripton......http://www.coinfacts.com/quarter_dollars/seated_liberty_quarters/1853_quarter_dollar_arrows.htm
Huh? The Rays and Arrows appeared together on the first reduced-weight quarters and halves. All previous pre-weight-reduction issues did not have Rays OR Arrows.
Right, but once they removed the non-rayed heavier coins for recoining and after the big melt, I'd guess that the heavier coins (non-rayed) became scarce to collectors. I'm asking, not telling you Ruben
I would speculate that not all pre-reduction coins were melted. I'm sure many of those coins were hoarded and survived.
