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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Hobo, post: 449672, member: 11521&quot;]What I have read explained it this way:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>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.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>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 &amp; &#039;74 to signify an increase in weight).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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