Silver Dollar Blog Posts - March 2013

A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars (Kindle)

My how times have changed... Need this book quick you can download it right now with the kindle edition! Of course you need to own a kindle to do this. But how cool is that! You can also order this in paperback. Either way you would own the Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars! 

Official Book Description:

Americans love to collect the big Morgan silver dollar! No other coin conjures up so much of the romance and history of the United States. In this third edition of his bestselling book, noted numismatic historian Q. David Bowers offers an engaging portrait of the country’s most popular classic coin. You’ll learn what to look for when you buy, how to grade your coins, how to cherrypick varieties, and ways to become a smarter collector. A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, 3rd edition, also includes a thorough market analysis for each date and mintmark, a detailed look at the minting process, and a study of Treasury releases and other hoards, plus a section on never-circulated pattern coins. Full color throughout; illustrated; indexed

Test another coin... please

Old U.S. Mint, Chestnut & Juniper Streets, Philadelphia

There were many check points along the way to ensure a coin was the proper size and weight. The Coinage Act of 1873 also knows as the Crime of '73 that embraced the gold standard and demonetized silver had another side note. It stated that each mint superintendent and assayer would choose at random one coin out of every 2,000 coins to be inspected.

The selected coins would be sealed in envelopes and deposited in a pyx that had only two keys. One belonged to the superintendent and the other belonged to the assayer. A pyx is defined as a strong box, for safe keeping.

The Director of the Mint received coins from all the mints and inspected them once a month.  At the end of each quarter the the coins were sent in wooden boxes and shipped to Philadelphia mint where the Annual Assay Commission met every February to weigh and assay every sample coin. 

Usually things looked good by the time the coins made it to it's final inspection. But even with all these checks points,  in 1881 that the Annual Assay Commission discovered three melts from Carson City that were about 0.892 fineness and about 3,000 defective pieces were struck from that melt.  It is not really clear if  these coins were melted or located. 

Image Source: Library of Congress

1893 Silver Dollar

1893 Silver Dollar

1893 Silver Dollar
Mintage Circulation strikes: 378,000
Proofs: 792
There is no mint mark on the coin which means it was minted in Philadelphia.

1893-CC Silver Dollar
Mintage Circulation Strikes: 677,000
Proofs: estimated 12
Minted in Carson City

1893-O Silver Dollar
Mintage Circulation strikes: 300,000
Proofs: 0
Minted in New Orleans

1893-S Silver Dollar
Mintage Circulation Strikes: 100,000
Proofs: 0
Minted in San Francisco

Random Facts of 1893

World's Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago

Great Norther Railway connects Seattle with East Coast

Thomas Edison completes worlds 1st movie studio (West Orange NJ)

Columbian Isabella Silver quarter authorized

Grover Cleveland inaugurated as 24th, US President

The Critic reports that ice cream soda is our national drink

Panic of 1893; Great crash on New York Stock Exchange

Henry Perky patents shredded wheat

France issues 1st driving licenses, included required test

France introduces motor vehicle registration

Shaku Soen is 1st Zen teacher to visit the West (Chicago)

Senate approves repealing Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890

1st newspaper color supplement (NY World)

First appearance of an electric car