TRIVIA: 20 Cent Factoid

First, let's rehash some things you know about the 20 Cent Coin:


A. It's made of 90 per cent silver and 10 per cent copper.
B. Circulation coins were only made for two years (1875 and 1876)) at Philadelphia., Carson City and San Francisco.
C. Proofs were minted at Philadelphia 1875 through 1878.


Do you know the Mint director and all three mint Superintendents never wanted to strike 20 Cent pieces?


The Founding Fathers never set a standard for minting the coin.


One prevalent reason for the coin's short life was people complaining about the size of the coin being too similar to the 25 Cent Coin (quarter). Of course the denomination was on the reverse of the coin, but Americans (even way back in 1875) were to lazy to look at the coin to see whether it was a 20 Cent or 25 Cent coin.

1875 20 Cent coins would have a diameter of 22mm. 1875 quarters would be struck with a diameter of 24.3mm.


Congress authorized the minting of the 20 Cent piece by the Act of March 3, 1875.


Among all the complainers, no blind person objected. Know why?


The mint personnel wanted to assure the success of the coin so they did something they had never done to a United States silver coin before or since. They minted the silver 20 Cent coin with a smooth edge, so a quick look at the edge would inform the bearer and recipient of the coin as to its true denomination. Even a blind person could tell the difference between the two coins:


Smooth edge = 20 Cents.
Reeded edge = 25 Cents.


Hope you enjoyed this trivia...

Clinker

 

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LIBERTY in relief

LIBERTY is in relief on the 20 cent. LIBERTY is inverse relief on the 25 cent.

Very best regards,
collect89

 

Thanks for the info Clinker.

Why the change in font? Now I have to put on the cheaters (LOL).

 

Collect89:

Thanks for the addendum!

green18:

Too many complaints about the type being too big...

Clinker

 

I surely didn't complain that your font was too big.

 

I know, I've read them......whinners.

 

Clinker with the information you share who cares how big the font is?

I squinted for this one but still enjoyed it. One of my favorite coins actually.

 

The Best coin deal I ever had was 1875 S 20 cent coin...bought it for 290.00 sent it to PCGS it came back a a MS 63 with wonderful blue green toning...took it to the Boston show and a Dealer paid me 3K for that coin on the spot, cash..and said he had a collector looking for a coin like that w/o a price limit!

Sometime's I am so stupid!!


RickieB

 

Please set fonts to a 12. I want to read it. You have good stuff.

 

Still need a twenty for my type set , I'm 55 years old and I would have bet it had a reeded edge , thanks again clinker .
rzage

 

Here are the images of that coin..still wish I had not sold it!

RickieB

 

Wow Rick you got that for $290 , great looking coin .
rzage

 

identify this

Can you identify the date of this popular S-mint 20 cent piece?

 

Thanks everyone for your comments and I'll try to make the type a little larger. Anyone else have the same wish as RickieB about a previously sold coin?

Clinker

 

Hello RickieB,

I wonder if your 1875-S had the s/s (looks like a US $ sign) or the 7-in-the-denticles MPD1 like this photo. Zoom in on your original photo & see if you had either of these varieties. I have found slabbed coins with these varieties and no mention on the label.

Very best regards,
collect89

 

The reeded edge contributed to the failure of the SBA Dollar because it was similar in size to the quarter and was copper-nickel clad like the quarter. When the dollar coin was redesigned as the Sac Dollar it had a smooth edge (so anyone, even a blind person, could distinguish it from a quarter).

 

Thanks Hobo for the info, but I never mistook an SBA Dollar for a quarter. President Washington and Ms Anthony didn't appear to be the same in my views of the coin...AND that obnoxious rim on the obverse of the SBA Dollar along with the extra special Eagle rendition on the reverse kept me from thinking the coin was a quarter.

But, you are right about the edge (not a silver coin) being smoothe...

Clinker

 

Cool read Clinker. I am not sure I have ever even seen a 20 cent piece before. Ill have to look for them in the next coin show I go to.

 

Clembo,

I have to say that I never liked the double dime until last week when a member of the NGC forum posted the coin in the following link.

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2590524&fpart=9

Now that is one attractive coin--MS64*

 

Lehigh, they still give the star designation, yes?

also, that Quarter you posted is very nice! and that 66 cent is insane!! yikes!


Then again, I think kryptoninecomics has you beat!