I have been wondering how accurate the mint records are for mintages. The reason I ask is, with modern coins...the mintages don't seem nearly as "round." With older coins, you see very large and rounded numbers listed as mintages...such as 484,000 for the 1909-S VDB cent, 350,000 for the 1889-CC Morgan, 700,000 for the 1889-S Morgan and so on. Are these exact figures, or has the mint had a tendency to "round" their mintage figures?
Good question - I never really thought about it. I think it is exact, but I am not positive. I would really like to know the survival rate of some of the earlier coins.
They are the official numbers as found in the "Domestic and Foreign Coins 1792-1965 pamphlet, the numbers are correct for the $. I found the total cents from1909 SF mint,but not the separate numbers for -S compared to -SVDB. For example at CC, all of the morgan year's figure end with ,000. except for 1890-CC (2,309,041). I suspect it was predetermined by Law as to how many coins would be struck. Jim
Mint records of mintage numbers/weight have always been meticulously kept, been that way for centuries and with good reason - your life literally used to depend upon it.
Were many of these "round" mintage figures predetermined by law then? Also, what about varieties. Why did they stop at exactly 484,000 to remove the VDB from the S Lioncoln's?
Very seldom have mintages been determined by law, and then mostly in modern times. There have been times when it was dictated that certain dollar amounts would be minted, like after WWI. But that was just to replace what had been melted. Round number mintages are mainly just a convenience based on the number of planchets ready to go.
I know that IHC's and Lincoln's have been melted by the Government. Is there accurate records for the meltings? Harry
No, not in the way you mean. But the law, Pittman Act, allowed up to 350 million silver dollars be melted. You can read more about it - HERE
Accurate records were kept of meltings, but only by number of pieces melted. No breakdown of melting by date and mint.
in modern time, with so many things in advance. the mint should know exactly how many coins they produce in each facility. differentiate and counting its mint mark and date. how many coin being sold. how many being melted down. and release the figures every second or minute if they want to. it will be very accurate. we have computer, internet, calculator, cel phone, counting machine and so forth. the mint should let the collectors know.
Number & the Government mintage 1800-1900 most likely are off on 5-10% with rounding then you have 3-4 big melts! but modern coinage should be fact not fiction. I worked 20 yrs 15 days in the government and can't forget this* *Number that are report or post maybe rounded off & inflated to meet there needs at anytime or any need to support your mission. This was the first thing I was told in the Army NCOS school.
