Missing coins

1974 Steel-Clad 1c Copper clad steel pattern made while they were testing substitutes for copper. Was not known about until several years later when Coin World was shown several pieces by a steel foundry worker who told the story that mint officials used the foundry to destroy the patterns and one bag broke open. The pieces he had were ones not found and destroyed at the time.

1975 Aluminum 1c 15 pieces struck in 1974, once again as part of tests to replace copper. All destroyed

1975 Steel Clad 1c Never heard of these, probably they are confused and thinking of the 74 copper clad steel.

1970 Peace Dollar Patterns made in copper nickel clad to test striking of dollar size coins in preparation for the the Ike dollar. All destroyed

1964 Franklin Half A mythical piece that Walter Breen claimed existed. No one else has ever said they've seen one.

1849 $25 Templeton Reid A unique piece that was stolen form the Mint Cabinet. Was never recovered and hasn't been seen since.

1873-S Seated Dollar 700 pieces struck before the Act of 1873 went into effect in Feb of 1873. Records record 1 piece was sent to Philadelphia for the annual trial of the pyx. After the Act went into effect they could not be legally issued and were probably all melted down. There have been rumors of one existing, but it has never been confirmed.

1873-S Seated Half Dollar Arrows I believe you mean the no arrows coins. 5000 struck same story as the 73 -S seated dollar. Records also show pieces being sent for the trial of the Pyx. Again rumors but no confirmed existing coins.

1870-s Quarter At least one coin struck for inclusion in the Mint cornerstone. (possibly a few were struck to have several to choose one from) Records confirm that that one was included in the cornerstone. None known today, not even rumors.

1841-o $5. No information.

1793 Chain Struck in Gold Never heard of any such thing.

1869-cc Coins. The CC mint did not open for operation until Jan 8 1870, but originally they believed the mint would be finished by mid 1869 and 1869 dated dies were delivered there. But the final machinery was not completed until late December 1869. So while they COULD have struck some 1869 dated coins, there is no record of them doing so. (And the metal and coins would have to be accounted for if they did.)

1974 & 1974-d aluminum Lincoln cents In 1973 as part of the experiments for replacing the copper in the cent some 1.5 million 1974 aluminum cents were struck. Several were passed out to the Committee on coinage in Congress but not all of the were returned. The one in the Smithsonian was found in a retiring congressman's desk and was sent to the Smithsonian instead of to the Mint for destruction. Another was supposedly dropped by a Congressman and picked up by a security guard. When he tried to return it to the Congressman, he told the guard to keep it. This is the Toven specimen which has been graded and slabbed by ICG (AU-58) and by PCGS (MS-63) It is still held by the Toven family. The 1974-D aluminum cent should not exist. Its production was never ordered or authorized, and there was no reason for experimental cents to be struck at Denver. All such experiments were conducted at Philadelphia. The one known coin was in the possession of the son of the man who was Superintendent of the Denver Mint in 1974.

Other 1849 double eagle & 1870s $3 At least two 1849 double eagles were struck in gold and two or three in gilt copper. One of the gold coins is in the Smithsonian. The last time the other was seen was in a Woodward auction in the 1880's. The gilt copper pieces I believe were also last seen around that time. One 1870 S three dollar was intended for the Cornerstone. The currently known one was worn as a watch fob by the Mint Superintendent. It has had a jewelry mount removed at the top and has 858 scratched on the back.

1964 peace and morgan dollars Briefly, In order to placate western silver interests 50 million silver dollars were ordered to be struck. Over 300,000 test or "experimental" pieces were struck before the authorization was rescinded. While supposedly all of these were destroyed there have been pieces rumored to exist ever since. Several silver dollar specialists have claimed to have seen them, but none are confirmed to exist. About a years ago the original master hubs for the 1964 peace dollars were discovered in the Mint archives, along with master hubs for 1964 Morgan dollars, a coin not even rumored to exist.

1854 c gold dollars Don't know anything about this.

And anybody know anything about the San Francisco mint cornerstone. In 1870 a cornerstone ceremony was held as part of the construction of the second San Francisco Mint. One of the things placed in the cornerstone was a complete set of 1870 S coins. The building is still standing and the exact location of the cornerstone was not recorded (Cornerstones are NOT always located in the corner of the building.) Although records exist of the coins being struck for the cornerstone, until the building gets torn down we will probably never know if the coins are still there or not. I believe that a few of each coin was struck so that they could then select the best one of each for the cornerstone. That would explain the existence of the 70 S half dime, the second three dollar gold, and the small handful of 70 S Silver dollars. If so there were probably at least a couple 70 S quarters struck, and one may still show up someday.

 

1974 Steel-Clad 1c Copper clad steel pattern made while they were testing substitutes for copper. Was not known about until several years later when Coin World was shown several pieces by a steel foundry worker who told the story that mint officials used the foundry to destroy the patterns and one bag broke open. The pieces he had were ones not found and destroyed at the time.

1975 Aluminum 1c 15 pieces struck in 1974, once again as part of tests to replace copper. All destroyed

1975 Steel Clad 1c Never heard of these, probably they are confused and thinking of the 74 copper clad steel.

1970 Peace Dollar Patterns made in copper nickel clad to test striking of dollar size coins in preparation for the the Ike dollar. All destroyed

1964 Franklin Half A mythical piece that Walter Breen claimed existed. No one else has ever said they've seen one.

1849 $25 Templeton Reid A unique piece that was stolen form the Mint Cabinet. Was never recovered and hasn't been seen since.

1873-S Seated Dollar 700 pieces struck before the Act of 1873 went into effect in Feb of 1873. Records record 1 piece was sent to Philadelphia for the annual trial of the pyx. After the Act went into effect they could not be legally issued and were probably all melted down. There have been rumors of one existing, but it has never been confirmed.

1873-S Seated Half Dollar Arrows I believe you mean the no arrows coins. 5000 struck same story as the 73 -S seated dollar. Records also show pieces being sent for the trial of the Pyx. Again rumors but no confirmed existing coins.

1870-s Quarter At least one coin struck for inclusion in the Mint cornerstone. (possibly a few were struck to have several to choose one from) Records confirm that that one was included in the cornerstone. None known today, not even rumors.

1841-o $5. No information.

1793 Chain Struck in Gold Never heard of any such thing.

1869-cc Coins. The CC mint did not open for operation until Jan 8 1870, but originally they believed the mint would be finished by mid 1869 and 1869 dated dies were delivered there. But the final machinery was not completed until late December 1869. So while they COULD have struck some 1869 dated coins, there is no record of them doing so. (And the metal and coins would have to be accounted for if they did.)

1974 & 1974-d aluminum Lincoln cents In 1973 as part of the experiments for replacing the copper in the cent some 1.5 million 1974 aluminum cents were struck. Several were passed out to the Committee on coinage in Congress but not all of the were returned. The one in the Smithsonian was found in a retiring congressman's desk and was sent to the Smithsonian instead of to the Mint for destruction. Another was supposedly dropped by a Congressman and picked up by a security guard. When he tried to return it to the Congressman, he told the guard to keep it. This is the Toven specimen which has been graded and slabbed by ICG (AU-58) and by PCGS (MS-63) It is still held by the Toven family. The 1974-D aluminum cent should not exist. Its production was never ordered or authorized, and there was no reason for experimental cents to be struck at Denver. All such experiments were conducted at Philadelphia. The one known coin was in the possession of the son of the man who was Superintendent of the Denver Mint in 1974.

Other 1849 double eagle & 1870s $3 At least two 1849 double eagles were struck in gold and two or three in gilt copper. One of the gold coins is in the Smithsonian. The last time the other was seen was in a Woodward auction in the 1880's. The gilt copper pieces I believe were also last seen around that time. One 1870 S three dollar was intended for the Cornerstone. The currently known one was worn as a watch fob by the Mint Superintendent. It has had a jewelry mount removed at the top and has 858 scratched on the back.

1964 peace and morgan dollars Briefly, In order to placate western silver interests 50 million silver dollars were ordered to be struck. Over 300,000 test or "experimental" pieces were struck before the authorization was rescinded. While supposedly all of these were destroyed there have been pieces rumored to exist ever since. Several silver dollar specialists have claimed to have seen them, but none are confirmed to exist. About a years ago the original master hubs for the 1964 peace dollars were discovered in the Mint archives, along with master hubs for 1964 Morgan dollars, a coin not even rumored to exist.

1854 c gold dollars Don't know anything about this.

And anybody know anything about the San Francisco mint cornerstone. In 1870 a cornerstone ceremony was held as part of the construction of the second San Francisco Mint. One of the things placed in the cornerstone was a complete set of 1870 S coins. The building is still standing and the exact location of the cornerstone was not recorded (Cornerstones are NOT always located in the corner of the building.) Although records exist of the coins being struck for the cornerstone, until the building gets torn down we will probably never know if the coins are still there or not. I believe that a few of each coin was struck so that they could then select the best one of each for the cornerstone. That would explain the existence of the 70 S half dime, the second three dollar gold, and the small handful of 70 S Silver dollars. If so there were probably at least a couple 70 S quarters struck, and one may still show up someday.