Historical Significance Of Indian Head skyblock coins Cents

Indian Head skyblock coins Cents are very popular amongst collectors. It is commonly referred to as the Indian Penny, which was officially introduced to the public in 1859. A lot of historical significance is attached to this coin. This article details some of them.

The first reason these coins are historically significant is due to the two designs that were used for the reverse for this series. The original, which was manufactured in 1859, had “One Cent” inscribed with a laurel wreath. A year later changed to a wreath composed of oak and olive. This design change caused difficulties, so the new wreath also consisted of a knot of ribbon at its base, and was flanked by a Federal Shield towards the top. A few modifications were made by William Barber in 1870, but this was the design that stuck till its discontinuation in 1909.

Between the years 1859 and 1864, the series was minted and made of 88% copper and 12% nickel. This was due to the smaller sized cent which was favored over previous large cents which had been struck in pure copper with a rather large diameter. The new series marked the end of more than 60 years of production of the large copper cent.

These coins have become popular collector’s items over the years. They have a lot of historical value and significance attached to them. As it was, this series was one of the many that Americans used to conduct their daily transactions.

Barber Dimes Are A Collector Favorite

Barber dimes are a favorite with both beginner and advanced collectors as it is fairly easy for them to collect the set except for one rare coin, the 1894-S.  Beginners usually collect Good to Very Good grades, and experienced collectors show interest in mint state and proof examples. Because the series spans the 19th and 20th centuries, type collectors often show interest as well.

Over 500 million pieces were struck over a period of twenty five years beginning in January, 1892. The design for this coin was drawn by the Mint’s Chief Engraver, Charles Barber. He used the existing Morgan dollar as a base, modifying it by including a Liberty cap and shortening the hair in the back. He placed his initial “B” on the neck. Barber’s major accomplishment with his design was a coin that could be produced with one blow on the new high speed coin presses.

There is a 1893/2 overdate that is considered somewhat of an oddity, but the main rarity in this series is the 1894-S dime.  The story is that there were 24 pieces struck, but the location of only ten is known today.  This mystery has resulted in many interesting theories about the location of the missing coins. One story has the San Francisco Mint Superintendent, J. Daggert, giving three of the coins to his daughter with instructions that she keep them. Apparently she spent one of the dimes on the way home for some ice cream, so that coin is referred to as the “ice cream specimen”. The daughter sold the remaining two coins in the 1950s for a considerable profit. With their history and unique 19th century design, the Barber dimes have continued to hold collector interest over the years.