coin story of the week

some time it nice to see a good coin story

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Permalink Reply by Lureuin on July 31, 2009 at 1:58am

Where the heck is the story George!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Jim Archibald on July 31, 2009 at 7:13am

Lureuin said:

Where the heck is the story George!!!!

LMAO! I was wondering the same thing! I bet this is a popular thread, just wait & see. ~ Jim

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Permalink Reply by FiremanDev on July 31, 2009 at 10:50am

Where the heck is George??

George?? Helllloooo? George---you forgot sumpthin'!

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Permalink Reply by Zyll on July 31, 2009 at 11:08am

I agree, this thread is a hum-dinger! Thanks for the early morning smiles.

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Permalink Reply by george palmer on July 31, 2009 at 11:31am

The first US nickel coins weren’t worth a nickel!

The first US nickel coins were actually… pennies! They began circulating in 1857.
But as our first nickel coin, the public immediately called this piece a “nickel”-- and so it was, until 1865, when the next nickel coin, worth three cents, appeared.

And the five cent nickel? 1866.

Finally… a nickel worthy of the name, at least to our ears.

But... the switch to nickel was not without problems.

For the US Mint, nickels were a bother!

Nickel is an extremely hard metal, so coins made of nickel would be quite durable. But, coins with even a minor percentage of nickel are difficult to strike. Steel dies wear out more quickly. Designs that would strike well in copper, silver or gold often appeared weakly struck in nickel alloy. US nickel coins required a new sensibility on the part of the designer. And the pressmen were under a great deal of pressure as well. (Sorry.)
So…why nickel?

Nickel was politically correct, in the nineteenth century sense. The Mint, a controversial institution that generally needed all the political support it could attract, benefited from the kind regard of one Joseph Wharton, a well connected and influential Philadelphia businessman with significant holdings in western nickel mines.
So… never mind that the dies were crumbling and presses rumbling… just load the wagons with nickel and… Press On!

Now learn the details of each US nickel, including the:

Flying Eagle Cent,

Three Cent Nickel,

Shield Type Five Cent Nickel,

Liberty Nickel,

Buffalo Nickel,

and the Jefferson Nickels.

Speaking of Jefferson Nickels, in recent years, they've been freshened up a bit. The Westward Journey Nickels of 2004, 2005, and 2006 include the Peace Medal Nickel, Keelboat Nickel, American Bison Nickel, Ocean In View Nickel, and the Return To Monticello Nickel.

Collage of US nickels derived from images courtesy of Bowers and Merena Auctions.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Archibald on July 31, 2009 at 12:32pm

george palmer said:

Collage of US nickels derived from images courtesy of Bowers and Merena Auctions.

George, now you forgot the "Collage of US nickels"! Are we having a bad day? lol ~ Jim

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Permalink Reply by george palmer on July 31, 2009 at 5:22pm

YES

Jim Archibald said:

george palmer said:

Collage of US nickels derived from images courtesy of Bowers and Merena Auctions.

George, now you forgot the "Collage of US nickels"! Are we having a bad day? lol ~ Jim