"Slabbed" (Professionally Graded) U.S. Coins

Before the United States Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, individual states were responsible for minting their own coinage. Although I am not generally a collector of so-called "colonial" coinage, I couldn't resist picking this up when I saw it due to the fact that I am actually from Massachusetts. I have not been able to determine how many of these were actually minted, but I was astounded to find one in such nice condition at a comparatively cheap price compared to the earliest copper coins produced by the U.S. Mint.

The Liberty Cap Half Cent, minted from 1793-1797, was the first half cent produced by the U.S. Mint. The design for the first year featured Lady Liberty facing to the left, but from 1794-1797 she faced to the right.

The Liberty Cap Large Cents were minted from 1793-1796 are considered the classics of early American copper coinage. They represent the third step in the infant Philadelphia Mint’s quest for a permanent cent design, succeeding the Chain and Wreath cents that began the new decimal coinage early in 1793. The inspiration for the image on the obverse came from a popular design, French medalist Augustin Dupre’s 1783 Libertas Americana Medal. This famous early American medal bore a youthful Liberty facing left, her hair unbound and flowing in the wind, superimposed on a pole topped by a pileus, the helmet-like emblem of freedom. For this coin, however. Liberty was turned to the right and the beehive-like pileus was replaced with the soft Phrygian cap worn in ancient times by newly freed slaves to signify their liberation. The reverse presented a sparser laurel wreath than the preceding coinage, bearing single berries on individual stems.

The Flowing Hair Half Dollar was minted from 1794-1795 and was the first half dollar produced by the U.S. Mint. The obverse features a small head of Miss Liberty with flowing hair with eight stars to the left and seven to the right. The reverse illustrates an open wreath enclosing a “small” eagle (which some have likened to a skinny chicken). No value is included on either side of the coin; instead, the edge features the lettering “FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR."

The Draped Bust Large Cent was minted from 1796-1807. The design was modeled after a drawing by artist Gilbert Stuart. It depicts Liberty with flowing hair, a ribbon behind her head and drapery at her neckline. The inscription LIBERTY is above the bust and the date below. The reverse features the denomination ONE CENT, encircled by an open wreath of two olive branches tied with a bow. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the wreath, and the fraction 1/100 is between the ends of the bow. This particular example shows damage due to corrosion, which is all to common with these early copper coins, but the details are still quite sharp.

The Draped Bust (Heraldic Eagle) Dollar, minted from 1798-1804, was only the third type of silver dollar produced by the U.S. Mint, after the Flowing Hair Dollar (minted from 1794-95) and the Draped Bust (Small Eagle) Dollar (minted from 1795-1798), and is therefore one of the earliest silver dollar coins minted in the United States. It features 13 stars on the obverse as well as a heraldic eagle on the reverse. A total of 423,515 Draped Bust Dollars were minted in 1799, but much fewer survive today. This was the first pre-1800 coin in my collection and was one of two special coins I purchased in honor of my father, who passed away in August of 2015.

The Draped Bust Large Cent was minted from 1796-1807. The design was modeled after a drawing by artist Gilbert Stuart. It depicts Liberty with flowing hair, a ribbon behind her head and drapery at her neckline. The inscription LIBERTY is above the bust and the date below. The reverse features the denomination ONE CENT, encircled by an open wreath of two olive branches tied with a bow. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the wreath, and the fraction 1/100 is between the ends of the bow.

The Draped Bust Quarter was made with a Small Eagle on the reverse for the first year of production in 1796 and a Heraldic Eagle from 1804 until the end of production in 1807.

The 1806 Draped Bust (Heralidc Eagle) Half Dollar came in different varieties, and this one has a pointed "6" in the date on the obverse and a visible stem in the eagle's claw on the reverse.

The Capped Bust Quarter was introduced in 1815 and the larger "Variety I" was produced until 1828. After that, the size of the coin was reduced significantly and the more common Variety II Capped Bust Quarter was produced until 1838.

The Capped Bust Dime was introduced in 1809 and the larger "Variety I" was produced until 1828. After that, the size of the dime was reduced slightly and the more common Variety II Capped Bust Dime was produced until 1837.

The Type II Indian Head gold dollar (also known as the "Small Head" dollar) was struck for only three years (1854-56), with only 24,600 struck at the San Francisco mint in 1856, and is therefore much rarer than the Type I and Type II gold dollars (only 783,943 were minted in 1854, compared to more than 4 million Type I gold dollars that were minted in 1853). The design on the obverse is in high relief, causing metal to flow into the portrait and away from the corresponding area of the reverse. For this reason, the date and the word "DOLLAR" tend to be weak on most examples.

The $3 Gold Piece (also known as the "Indian Princess") was minted from 1854 to 1889. It was never minted in large quantities, however, and only 535,000 or so pieces were minted for all years combined. 138,618 $3 Gold Pieces were minted in Philadelphia (no mint mark) for the year 1854, making it one of the larger runs of the entire series (exceeded only by the years 1879 and 1888).

As the first issue of small cents for circulation, the 1857 Flying Eagle Cents were coined in huge numbers for the period. Examples are thus quite common in worn condition and fairly plentiful in Mint State, as well. Most pieces are less than fully struck. Weakness most often appears on the eagle's head and tail, as these features were opposite the wreath and thus had to compete its die cavity for metal fill.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 470 proof Three-Cent Silvers were minted in 1864.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 600 proof Two-Cent Pieces were minted in 1869.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 800 proof Liberty Seated Half Dimes were minted in 1869.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 600 proof Liberty Seated Dollars were minted in 1869.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 1000 proof Liberty Seated Quarters were minted in 1870.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 1260 proof Twenty Cent Pieces were minted in 1876.

1878 was the first year that the Morgan Dollar was minted. Over ten million coins were struck at the Philadelphia mint, but only around two million were minted at the Carson City mint located in Carson City, Nevada, which makes the 1878 CC Morgan dollar especially interesting and prized by collectors.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. 1879 was the start of a period of relatively high sales for proof cents that lasted until 1890, when interest finally receded. As such, proof Indian Head Cents from this year are not as rare as from other years, but with a mintage of only 3,200 they are still quite rare compared to regular cents minted in that year.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 1100 proof Liberty Seated Half Dollars were minted in 1879.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 1,541 proof Trade Dollars were minted in 1879.

This coin isn't particularly rare in and of itself, what with a mintage of 8,500,000. What makes it unusual, however, is the fact that it is a particularly high grade for a coin minted nearly 140 years ago (MS67 out of a maximum grade of MS70). The pictures don't do it justice (it is actually very shiny), but this is just one amazing coin to look at.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. A relatively large number of proof Shield Nickels were minted in 1881 compared to other years, but with a mintage of only 3,575 they are still quite rare compared to regular Shield Nickels minted in that year.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 1100 proof Liberty Seated Dimes were minted in 1882.

This particular Morgan dollar is special for two reasons. First of all, it was struck at the Carson City mint, which makes it one of the more rare and desirable of all Morgan dollars (only 1,136,000 were struck compared to 14,070,000 struck at the Philadelphia mint). Second of all, it is considered to be Deep Mirror Proof Like (DMPL), which means it has unusually clean mirror fields and frosted devices, similar to a genuine proof coin (although it was struck for circulation). DMPL Morgan dollars were typically the first ones struck with a new die and are highly prized among collectors for their beauty.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. By 1886 the Three Cent Nickel had proven itself to be pretty unpopuar for use in commerce and therefore only proof coins were struck that year for collectors. With 4,290 proof Three Cent Nickels minted in 1886, this date is fairly common as early proofs go.

1892 was the first year of issue for the Liberty Head dime, nicknamed the "Barber" dime after the designer of the coin, Charles E. Barber.

1892 was the first year of issue for the Liberty Head quarter dollar, nicknamed the "Barber" quarter after the designer of the coin, Charles E. Barber.

1892 was the first year of issue for the Liberty Head half dollar, nicknamed the "Barber" half dollar after the designer of the coin, Charles E. Barber. This particular example is a proof coin,meaning it was specially struck for collectors using a special die and blank to give it a mirror finish.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 2,632 proof Liberty Head Nickels were minted in 1894.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 846 proof Liberty Head ("Barber") quarters were minted in 1899. The "Cameo" designation means that the proof was struck with deep mirror fields and frosted (non-mirrored) devices to provide enhanced contrast.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 755 proof Morgan Dollars were minted in 1903. This one one has extraordinarily fine eye appeal due to it's golden toning and was one of two special coins I purchased in honor of my father, who passed away in August of 2015

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 755 proof Barber Half Dollars were minted in 1903.

1909 was the final year of production for the Indian Head Cent as the new Lincoln Cent was being introduced the same year. Those produced at the San Francisco Mint had the lowest production of any issue in the Indian Head series due to the fact that production ceased early in the year and was not resumed before the new Lincoln Cent dies were ready in early summer. Only 309,000 were minted in total.

The 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cent is generally considered to be the "Holy Grail" of Lincoln Cents and is usually the first "rare and valuable" coin people hear about when first being introduced to the world of coin collecting. The designer of the new Lincoln Cent, Victor David Brenner, included his initials "V.D.B." on the reverse of the coin and 20,000,000 coins were minted at the Philadelphia mint before the decision was made to remove the initials. Only 484,000 were released for circulation by the San Francisco mint, however, which makes it the rarest Lincoln cent ever produced.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 551 proof Liberty Head ("Barber") dimes were minted in 1910, and this one has a lovely dark blue toning to it.

1916 was the first year of issue for the iconic Winged Liberty (a.k.a. "Mercury") dime and only 264,000 were produced at the Denver mint (as opposed to 22,180,080 that were produced at the Philadelphia mint). These were widely circulated, and as a result even examples in poor condition can be worth thousands of dollars to collectors today.

1916 was the first year of issue for the iconic Walking Liberty Half Dollar and only 508,000 were produced at the San Francisco mint. Unlike its Philadelphia Mint cousin, the 1916-S half dollar of comparable mintage was not widely saved in Mint State. Most coin collectors lived in the eastern third of the nation, and only those serious enough about completing their collections bothered to write the San Francisco Mint requesting examples.

1921 was the first year that the Peace Dollar was minted. The original design featured the head of liberty struck in high relief. Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that the design wore down very quickly once in circulation and, as a result, the coin was redesigned with a lower relief image in 1922. As a result, only 1,006,473 Peace Dollars were minted in 1921 and they are highly prized by collectors (especially those in mint condition such as this example).

1930 was the last year of production for the Standing Liberty Quarter and, with a mintage of 5,632,000, they are not considered rare. What elevates this particular example, however, is its condition. The "FH" designation indicates that Liberty's full head is visible, which is unusual on these coins due to the design's high relief.

1932 was the first year of production for the now iconic Washington Quarter, and only 436,800 of them were minted in Denver that year. Although this is slightly more than the 408,000 coins that were minted in San Francisco that year, there are fewer surviving uncirculated or "mint state" examples of the 1932-D. As a result, the 1932-D Washington Quarter in mint state is considered to be the key date of the entire series.

In 1935, Congress passed a bill authorizing the minting of 10,000 half dollars commemorating the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the founding of the city of Hudson, NY. The reverse features a pretty standard image of Henry Hudson's sailing ship, the Half Moon, although it also includes an erroneous depiction of a crescent moon in the background (supposedly because the artist didn't know the difference between a half moon and a crescent moon). The obverse, however, features one of the strangest designs on U.S. currency (if not the strangest design). Based on the official seal of the City of Hudson used at the time, the design features Neptune riding a whale, seated backwards, with a mermaid blowing a conch shell in the background.

The so-called "3 Legged" 1937 Buffalo Nickel is not actually a true variety, since the missing fourth leg feature was actually present in the die when new, and is really just a case of a late die state (LDS) striking where the die had become worn. The technical term that has been adopted by variety specialists is Abraded Die Reverse (ADR). Despite the fact that it is not a true variety, however, the 3-legged Buffalo Nickel is beloved by collectors and is considered the most famous key date in the Buffalo Nickel series.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Only 5,769 proof Buffalo nickels were minted in 1937. One especially interesting feature of this coin is that the die used to create the reverse image was rotated about 45 degrees. This is not considered an error, since many of the proof coins minted this year were minted with the same die pair and have the same rotated reverse.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Proof set production was suspended after 1942 because of wartime priorities, but 22,329 proof dimes were coined in that final year.

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. Although the Liberty Walking Half Dollar was minted until 1947, the last proof versions were struck in 1942. To celebrate the final year, an unusually large number were minted (21,120).

Proof versions of older coins are always scarcer than those intended for circulation and are highly valued by collectors. Special dies and blanks were created to give them their mirror finish and they were struck with extra care. The 1953 proof Lincoln Wheat Cent isn't particualry rare as far as proof cents go, with a mintage of 128,800, but I wanted a nice example for my U.S. Proof Type Set collection.

There is really only one Eisenhower dollar that is considered to be a "key" variety by collectors, and that is the 1972, Type 2 Reverse. The difference between the Type 2 and the regular Eisenhower dollars has to do with the appearance of the Earth on the reverse. Unlike every other variety and year, the Earth as pictured on the Type 2 does not have any islands showing beneath and to the right of Florida. Instead of islands, incuse (engraved) water lines hint at their appearance.

The 1972 Type 2 Eisenhower Dollar was accidentally struck with a reverse die intended for proof coins only. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 of these were actually minted, while fewer than 40,000 in all grades are thought to still exist today since many of them circulated and have considerable wear making them hard to identify.

Below are closeup images of the Earth on a Type 2 Reverse an on a standard (Type 1) Reverse for comparison:

Type 2 Reverse	Type 1 Reverse