Impressions of Five Cents
Under the Coinage Act of May 16, 1866, a new form of the five cent denomination was authorized. After many years of issuing half dismes worth five cents, struck in a composition of silver, the denomination would change to base metal with a larger diameter and thickness.
The design for the first five cent coins departed from the traditional depictions of Liberty. The so called Shield Nickel was designed by James B. Longacre, also known for the Flying Eagle and later Indian Head Penny designs. His rendition for the five cent piece featured an ornate shield with lines running horizontally. There was a cross at the crest and agricultural elements to each side. The reverse featured very prominently the numeral “5″ within stars or stars and rays. The inscriptions completed the rest of the design.
These coins would be issued from 1866 to 1883, amidst some minor design changes. A common problem was die cracks due to the copper and nickel composition, which was more difficult to strike. Replacements for the coins came in 1883.
This year Charles E. Barber designed the Liberty Nickels. These coins went back to depicting the iconic representation of America in classic sense. Liberty is depicted on the obverse of the coin wearing a crown. There are agricultural elements intertwined within her hair and a number of thirteen stars surrounding to represent the original states. On the reverse was a large Roman numeral “V” and an agricultural wreath containing crops important to the nation. Initially, the word “CENTS” was not included, but this was later placed below the wreath.
Both designs served their purpose and became the circulating representations of the five cent denomination. Each had a very different design from the shield to a classic depiction of Liberty. The denomination would see further development with the two subsequent series.
Weinman Takes Two Out of Three
Back in 1892, design changes were implemented for the dime, quarter dollar, and half dollar. As the most widely circulating silver coins within the United States, these coins were seen as a tangible representation of the country. With the prior designs in place for more than 50 years, it was time for a change. All three coins would adopt the same obverse design by Charles E. Barber featuring the head of Liberty. Although this was a change, it was not very well received.
After a period of only 25 years, the designs were to be changed once again. This time all three denominations would feature different designs. Rather than having the Mint’s chief engraver prepare the designs, leading artists of the day were called upon. The Director of the Mint invited Hermon A. MacNeil, Albin Polasek, and Adolph A. Weinman to create designs for the coins. The presumed goal was to have one artist design each coin. The submission of designs yielded a different result with Weinman’s designs selected for the dime and half dollar and MacNeil’s design selected for the quarter.
The Mercury Dimes, as they would come to be called, featured Liberty in a winged cap to represent “Liberty of thought”. This peculiar headpiece led the series to its common name. The reverse featured fasces and an axe, which represented authority, with an olive branch in the background. The series was well received by the public with many first year of issue coins saved as souvenirs, although the Denver issue would have a prohibitively low mintage.
Weinman’s other design was for the Walking Liberty Half Dollars, like the ten cent piece, the new design was adopted in 1916. The obverse design featured an elegant full figure depiction of Liberty in a flowing dress. She walks towards a rising sun carrying a bouquet of olive branches with a flag draped across her shoulders. The reverse featured an eagle on a rocky outcropping. This design has been viewed as one of the most beautiful in the history of U.S. coinage.
MacNeil’s design for the Standing Liberty Quarter had the shortest duration within circulation. Liberty was depicted standing within a gate on the obverse, with a flying eagle pictured on the reverse. The series was cut short when the denomination was selected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Washington in 1932.
The famous sculptor Albin Polasek did not have any of his designs chosen. Although he remains a well known and celebrated artist, he has no coin designs to his credit.
The Incredible Shrinking Dollar Coin
How do you get a dollar coin to circulate? The United States government has been trying to answer this question with little measure of success for many years. Initially silver dollars were used as backing for silver certificates and did circulate within the western states where hard money was preferred.
Five years after the silver content was removed from circulating coinage, the US Mint issued the first dollar coins struck in a composition of copper and nickel. The Eisenhower Dollars had the same 38.1 mm diameter that had been used for actual silver dollars, despite containing no precious metal content. Although the Ike Dollar was minted for eight years, it did not widely circulate since it was viewed as too heavy and bulky to be practical.
In 1979, the US Mint attempted to solve the problem of size by shrinking the dollar coin. The Susan B. Anthony Dollar would have a diameter of only 26.5 mm. The weight was reduced from 22.68 grams for the prior series to only 8.1 grams. At the time of release, the convenience compared to the old dollar coin and current paper dollar notes was touted.
The efforts were for naught, as the reduced size replaced inconvenience with confusion. Since the coins were close in diameter to the quarter dollar, which was 24.3 mm, the public was quickly frustrated with the new Susan B. Anthony Dollars and shunned them in retail transactions. circulating coin production took place for two years before being halted. The coins were minted only for collectors for one more year in 1981, with an additional odd reprise in 1999.