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Coins & Currency > The Official Blackbook Price Guide to US Coins 2008, 46th Edition

The Official Blackbook Price Guide to US Coins 2008, 46th Edition




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The Official Blackbook Price Guide to US Coins 2008, 46th Edition

SILVER DOLLARS EARLY, 1794 –1804; PATTERNS, 1836 –1839; REGULAR ISSUE, 1840 –1873 The silver dollar, probably the most significant U.S. coin of the 19th century, was authorized on April 2, 1792, and was intended as the chief currency piece or standard for other sil-ver coinage. However, striking was not begun until 1794. The word “dollar” is a corruption of Taler or Thaler, a large silver coin widely distributed in Europe and well known to Colonial America. Prior to use of this term in domestic coin-age it had become common to refer to Spain’s “pieces of eight” as dollars, so it was natural that this crownlike silver piece should likewise be called a dollar. The first design, the Flowing Hair variety, was executed by Robert Scot and may be observed on other coinage of that era. Its reverse was an eagle surrounded by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The composition was .8924 sil-ver and .1076 copper, the addition of this roughly one-tenth part of base metal being needed to provide ruggedness. It weighed 26.96 grams and was the heaviest U.S. silver coin excepting the Trade dollar of much later vintage. Its diameter varies between 39 and 40mm. Along the edge is impressed the words HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT, interspersed with typographical ornament. There was very limited striking of dollars in the initial year of their appearance, less than 2,000 being turned out. The following year, 1795, witnessed greatly increased produc-tion, but because of the surface softness of these coins and the extensive handling to which they were subjected, it is not easy finding specimens in the best grades of condition. “Aver-age” examples can be had rather easily. 394

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