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Message:: [QUOTE="Clinker, post: 797270, member: 6229"]When looking at coin catalogs, have you given any thought to the "grains" description of each listing? For instance, when the USA Half Cent was authorized on April 2, 1792 its weight was set at 132 "grains". Before the coin was minted the Coinage Act of January 14, 1793 lowered the weight to 104 "grains." The coin remained at this weight until January 26,1796 after the Coinage Act of March 3, 1795 set the weight at 84 grains. Weight of the USA Large Cent was set at exactly twice that of the Half Cent, thus the original Large Cent was to be 264 grains, but was lowered to 208 "grains" on January 14, 1793, then further reduced to 168 "grains" in 1876. A new-sized USA One Cent coin (Flying Eagle) composed of copper-nickle (88% copper, 12% nickle) and only 19mm in diameter was authorized by the Coinage Act of February 21, 1857. The weight of the new small Cent was set at 72 "grains." Patterns were struck in 1856. Circulation Flting Eagle Cents were minted in 1957 and 1958. What is this weight, "grains?" Grain was a universal trade/swap medium throughout the world long before coin developement began. Being subject to insect infestation, mold, mildew and being hard to transport, coinage, as an exchange medium, was readily accepted in lieu of "grain." However, most countries' (photo examples to come later) early coins bore grain (barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, rice, rye or wheat in single heads, beards, stalks or stacks of sheaves.. Groats (Ancient European - Grote) are the hulled grains or first cereals of the world often served as a hot pudding (porridge). Definitions are: From Answewrs.com: pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)Hulled, usually crushed grain, especially oats. [Middle English grotes, from Old English grotan.]  From English Dictionary: noun groat (Dutch "groot" OE grote)(usually in pl. groats) hulled grain   From Merriam-Webster:  Main entry 'groat' Pronunciation /grot/  Function: noun  Etymology: Middle English grotes, plural, from Old English grotean, plural of grot; akin to Old English greot gritDate: 12th Century  1. usually plural but singular in construction : hulled grain broken into fragments larger than grits2 : a grain (as of oats) exclusive of the hull Here's a photo of a serving of Kasha (buckwheat "groats") courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kasza_gryczana.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kasza_gryczana.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kasza_gryczana.jpg</a> This Groat example may surprise you. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cream_of_Wheat.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cream_of_Wheat.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cream_of_Wheat.jpg</a> These photos may suprise you too. Photos courtesy of Wikimedia: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granola03242006.JPG" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granola03242006.JPG" rel="nofollow">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granola03242006.JPG</a> <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granolabar.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granolabar.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granolabar.jpg</a> <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PuffedRice.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PuffedRice.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PuffedRice.jpg</a> <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WheatBran.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WheatBran.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WheatBran.jpg</a> Enough about cereals (Groats) Here's an example of coins bearing grain(s) on them: Here's 100 photos of various ancient coins bearing grain(s) on them. Photos courtesy of coinarchives.com (look at as many as your hungry tummy desires): <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?search=Grain&s=0&results=100" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?search=Grain&s=0&results=100" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?search=Grain&s=0&results=100</a> In 1272 King Edward I of England wanted to issue a coin that would circulate throughout the Kingdom as a coin of such a value that the rich would spend them, but the middleclass and poor could save them. He named that coin Groat and, with the advice of his advisers, court, seers and clergy set the coin's value at Four Pennies (4 Pence).King Edward's groat weighed 89 "grains" and contained 6.2 grams of sterling silver. Here's a photo of a King Edward I Groat courtesy of Wikipedia. The coin did what it was expected to do and right up to 1971 (year of decimalization) Englanders referred to Four Pence coins as Groats, even those in Maundy sets. Since the coin was so popular and gave some stature to the commoners of England, Scotland and Ireland started issuing their own Groats. Scotish groats were not issued until the reign of David II (1367). Scot's groats were originally, also, worth fourpence. Here's a photo courtesy of Wikipedia:  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:David_II_of_Scotland_groat_1367_612676.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:David_II_of_Scotland_groat_1367_612676.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:David_II_of_Scotland_groat_1367_612676.jpg</a> Ireland issued its first Groats in 1425 and stopped issuing them during the reign of Elizabeth I of England except for two emergency issues. Here's a photo of an Irish Groat issued in the reign of King Henry III courtesy of Wikimedia:  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_8_Irish_groat_1541_756365.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_8_Irish_groat_1541_756365.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_8_Irish_groat_1541_756365.jpg</a>  That's the "grist" of this subject. Did you enjoy this post?  Clinker[/QUOTE]

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