One tenth silver cent

At our coin club meeting tonight a member had an example of a one tenth silver cent. On the obverse it read "One tenth silver cent" and "United States of America" on the reverse. There was a perfect circle missing from the center, which was speculated used to contain a small amount of silver. The diameter was approx. the same as a small cent. Does anyone else have any info regarding such an item? One member thought he'd remembered them being produced sometime circa 1890's. Knowing the owner, I assume him to have a fairly decent library; but he stated he couldn't find anything in his references. Any other info would be appreciated, very curious. 1 mill is often used as a property tax increment, I wondered if it may be associated with property tax assessments.

 

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was there a dime pattern like that in the 1850's?

Ruben

 

I was thinking of this

http://www.coinfacts.com/patterns/1852_patterns/judd_0137.htm

 

Yeah - I thought there were others ... and I know it doesn't match what hes saying but he could miss remember

http://uspatterns.com/j1724p1934.html
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/uspatterns_2021_61840446
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/uspatterns_2021_62607191

 

http://uspatterns.com/j127p149.html

 

I remember reading it yesterday. In the attempt to ditch the large coppers they played with silver cutout rounds. They also wanted silver for legal tender issues and depending on the year, they were trying to undermine southern coinage during the civil war.

Ruben

 

yeah, didn't know that either!

good going mrbrklyn

 

Good Job Ruben, you found that answer quick!

 

Even before that (1850) , Judd-119 through 124 has different metal versions with "USA" on the obverse and rosettes on the rev. Both perforated and unperforated, also restrikes.

Jim

 

Forgot to mention that the hole was just a hole. The composition was 1/10 silver. 10% silver, 90 % copper ( billon) (Judd 119). A second type Judd 121 was made of copper. All nonperforated, copper nickel or cracked dies are restrikes.

According to Judd, some were pickled to look like silver, and the mint silver plated some themselves to demonstrate how they might be counterfeited. (??logic??).

Jim

 

yup

that was when I was origianlly thinking. It was the first attempts to make a new small cent, one that was legal tender (silver)

http://uspatterns.com/j119.html



also

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/uspatterns_2021_15307045
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/uspatterns_2021_27884309
http://uspatterns.com/j136p163.html



http://uspatterns.com/p144.html

 

Judd might say that the image is not of 119 because of the cracked dies, but as another thread said...then the fight began as all of the restrikes were unperforated Except Judd-123 which was copper-nickel. Does it look Cu-Ni? The URL Ruben gave above makes the statement in contradiction to Judd, that some cracked die strikes are thought to be original and not restrike. Sigh....I don't even own a pattern coin from Judd's book.

Jim

 

At least you own the judd book. You really have an impressive array of coin knowledge. Sometimes you need an editor, but they knowledge seeps out.

RUben

 

Thanx for the info mrbrklyn! And gem your gem's are always interesting. The club member is actually a dealer. The coin probably would grade high vf. I don't know what he may want for it, but due to the grade it may be a bargain for someone looking for an interesting pattern piece. PM me if interested and I would be happy to inquire.

 

Mu pleasure. You just happened to stubble on something I had recently studied.

Ruben

 

It didn't look like a copper/nickel IHC, so I assume it is the 127 variety that is listed in the link above.