query: when did the mint start making proof sets

pos: United States Mint coin sets prepared using proof striking methods. The Mint packages the specially prepared coins in hard plastic cases meant for long-term preservation. All releases from 1936 to 1972 included the cent, nickel, dime, quarter, and half dollar from that year. The first proof sets through 1964 were minted at the Philadelphia Mint. There were two official releases in 1942: one regular five coin set and a set including a silver wartime nickel. United States currency was debased beginning in 1965, but the sets continued under the name United States Mint Proof Set.Production was moved to the San Francisco branch in 1968, and

pos: United States Mint coin sets United States Mint coin sets The United States Mint has released annual collections of coins most years since 1936. With the launch of the 50 State Quarters Program in 1999, the Mint began marketing proof sets of just the five quarters released in the given year. These sets are essentially a reduced version of the regular issue proof sets and the packaging maintained the same blue color scheme, but came in a smaller box and different certificate of authenticity. This collection ceased with the resolution of the program in 2008. These sets are usually denoted as the "5-piece" sets from

pos: United States Mint coin sets denominations. From the 2005 mint set coins through the 2010 mint set coins were prepared using special dies that produce a "satin finish" distinct from business strike coins. The US Mint reverted to coins that are typically minted for general circulation in 2011. Mint sets currently are sealed in a plastic blister-pack, unlike the flexible plastic packs of earlier sets. They are usually sold in sets of two - one for each branch of production. United States Mint coin sets The United States Mint has released annual collections of coins most years since 1936. With the launch of the 50

pos: Quarter (United States coin) in 1938. Proof examples from 1936 to 1942 and 1950 to 1967 were struck at the Philadelphia Mint; in 1968 proof production was shifted to the San Francisco Mint. The mint mark on the coin is located on the reverse beneath the wreath on which the eagle is perched, and will either carry the mint mark "D" for the Denver Mint, "S" for the San Francisco Mint, or be blank if minted at the Philadelphia Mint. The copper-nickel clad Washington Quarter was first issued in 1965 and as part of the switch, the Denver mintmark was added in 1968, which

neg: Proof coinage was available only in this mint set. From 1965-67 the mint did not sell proof or uncirculated coins, but only a hybrid product, "special mint sets", none of which are particularly valuable. From 2005 through 2010 the U.S. Mint used a special "satin finish" on the coins in its uncirculated sets, but in 2011 changed to a "brilliant finish" so that contact marks incurred during the normal production process would be less noticeable. The Philadelphia and Denver mints also sell annual "souvenir sets" from their production runs. These are not mint sets and generally not of high collectable value, although

neg: Dime (United States coin) left the "P" off a small number of dimes, which are now valuable). To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the design, the 1996 mint sets included a "W" mintmarked dime made at the West Point Mint. A total of 1,457,000 dimes were issued in the sets, making it the lowest mintage Roosevelt dime up to that time. Since then, the "P" mint mark 2015 reverse proof dime and "W" mint mark 2015 proof dime, minted at Philadelphia and West Point for inclusion in the March of Dimes collector set, have the lowest mintages with 75,000 pieces struck for each. Dime

neg: Proof coinage commanding a premium over the "regular" variety. Since 1992 the mint has struck proof sets in both silver and base metal. Also, "Silver Premier" sets, featuring deluxe packaging, were offered from 1992 to 1998. U.S. commemorative and bullion platinum, palladium, gold, and silver coins are also often issued in both uncirculated and proof types, sometimes with different mint marks. Starting in 1947 the U.S. mint began producing "mint sets", and because of the terms used there is some confusion over the difference between these and proof sets. These are uncirculated coins that have been specially packaged, and are generally neither

neg: United States Bicentennial coinage the Mint, citing a decline in the price of silver, reduced the price of the sets to $15 in proof and $12 in uncirculated. A limit of 100 sets per person was set on proof sales, with none on uncirculated. A large number of sets were melted by the government in 1982. Reagan administration Mint Director Donna Pope later stated, "Sales of 1776–1976 regular-issue Bicentennial coins went on and on, seemingly forever." On December 31, 1986, the remaining Bicentennial uncirculated silver sets were removed from sale. At the time, it was announced that proof sets had already sold out when

neg: Coin set Coin set A coin set, or mint set, is a collection of Uncirculated or Proof coins, released by a mint. Such sets are usually released annually and often called a year set. They include sets of all the circulating coins of that year, as well as sets of commemorative coins. The Royal Mint, Royal Australian Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, United States Mint and others mints all release sets of proof and uncirculated coins each year. Sometimes the coins for annual sets are struck in a special way. For example, the Danmarks Nationalbank issues a coin set each year with coins

neg: Proof coinage the 1982 and 1983 sets are in demand, since no "official" mint sets were issued during those years. Finally, individual dealers have made unofficial "year sets", privately packaging all denominations of a certain date. The latter have no value beyond their individual coins. Members of the public should be careful to understand what products they are being offered, and that, until supplies are exhausted, current and previous mint and proof sets are available directly from the mint. Proof coinage Proof coinage means special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the dies and for archival purposes, but

neg: Coins of the United States dollar them as demanded by the country's economy. Today, four mints operate in the United States producing billions of coins each year. The main mint is the Philadelphia Mint, which produces circulating coinage, mint sets and some commemorative coins. The Denver Mint also produces circulating coinage, mint sets and commemoratives. The San Francisco Mint produces regular and silver proof coinage, and produced circulating coinage until the 1970s. The West Point Mint produces bullion coinage (including proofs). Philadelphia and Denver produce the dies used at all of the mints. The proof and mint sets are manufactured each year and contain examples of

neg: Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2010s) Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2010s) The Royal Canadian Mint issued two different specimen sets. One set had a variant dollar in its set, while the other set had a variant two dollar coin. Among the many commemorative 25 cent coins which didn't have the Queen on the reverse were: The Canadian $1 "Loonie" is minted in its regular version, available in the standard Proof, Proof-Like and Special Specimen sets, and it is also minted in various other Commemorative versions (shown below), available in Special Proof-Like sets, and the regular Specimen sets. The Canadian $2 "Toonie" is minted in its

neg: United States dollar nickel has been 75% copper and 25% nickel, except for 4 years during World War II when nickel was needed for the war. Due to the penny's low value, some efforts have been made to eliminate the penny as circulating coinage. The United States Mint produces Proof Sets specifically for collectors and speculators. "Silver Proofs" tend to be the standard designs but with the dime, quarter, and half dollar containing 90% silver. Starting in 1983 and ending in 1997, the Mint also produced proof sets containing the year's commemorative coins alongside the regular coins. Another type of proof set is

neg: Three-cent silver changes on November 10. Starting with 1854, small quantities of proof coins were struck and apparently distributed in sets with the other silver coins. Beginning in 1858, Mint director James Ross Snowden made the proof sets available to the general public. The 1853 acts had prohibited the mint from buying silver from the public. Since the silver dollar was heavy relative to its value, little silver was presented for striking into that piece. As the statutes did not permit the public to deposit silver and receive it back in the form of subsidiary silver coins (the three-cent piece through half

neg: Washington quarter when found in near-pristine condition. Beginning in 1992, the Mint began selling silver proof sets, including a quarter struck in .900 silver; this has continued to the present day. Although President George H.W. Bush signed authorizing legislation for these pieces in 1990, coinage did not begin until 1992 due to difficulty in obtaining sufficient coinage blanks in .900 silver. The Mint traces the origins of the 50 State Quarters program to a congressional hearing in June 1995, at which Mint Director Philip N. Diehl, as well as prominent numismatists, urged Congress to pass legislation allowing a series of circulating commemorative

neg: Proof coinage the U.S. Mint. Beginning in 1950, customers could order proof coins only as complete sets. From 1950 to 1955, proof sets were packaged in a box and each of the five coins was sealed in a cellophane bag. 1955 saw both the original "box" packaging and introduced the flat-pack, where the coins were sealed in cellophane and presented in an envelope. The flat-pack packaging continued through 1964, after which the coins were sealed in various styles of hard plasticized cases. (From 1965 to 1967 the production of proof sets was suspended and Special Mint Sets were made in their place.

neg: Proof coinage Beautiful quarters, depicting different National Parks and Monuments. Proof sets issued in 2009 contain 18 coins – the most ever included – as that year featured four different reverses for the Lincoln Cent, six quarters issued under the District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters program, four Presidential and one Native American dollar struck that year, and the five cent, dime, and half dollar coins. Proof sets containing only 2009 cents, Statehood quarters, America the Beautiful quarters, and Presidential dollars are also available. The U.S. Mint has also released special proof sets, such as in 1976, when a proof

neg: United States Mint coin sets Mint Proof Set and the packaging maintains the same burnt-orange color scheme, but came in a smaller box and different certificate of authenticity. All issues were produced at the San Francisco Mint. The 50 State Quarters Proof Sets are also produced in 90% silver and again are the same as the year's Silver Proof Set but in a reduced navy-blue packaging and unique certificate of authenticity. All issues were produced at the San Francisco Mint. Upon completion of the 50 State Quarters Program, it was decided to honor Washington D.C. and the U.S. Overseas Territories in a similar manner. The

neg: Proof coinage at least seven times: 1968-S, 1970-S and 1975-S and in the 1983-S Prestige set, each with a dime that has no mint mark; a small number of 1971-S sets included a nickel without a mint mark; 1990-S saw both regular and Prestige sets which included a penny with no mint mark. Not as rare (or as expensive) are proof sets issued with coin varieties that are less common than those found in other sets issued in the same year. These include the 1960 and 1970-S sets, both of which are found in either a "small date" or "large date" variety,

neg: Kennedy half dollar plastic. In 1973, Congress authorized silver-clad collector versions of the Bicentennial coins; in April 1975, the Mint began to strike them. The coins were issued in both proof and uncirculated quality. Copper-nickel clad Bicentennial coins were placed in both the 1975 and 1976 proof sets, while their silver clad counterparts were sold in three coin sets. Since 1992, the Mint has struck Kennedy half dollars in 90% silver for inclusion in special silver proof sets. 1964 proofs were struck in Philadelphia, and since 1968, proof coins have been struck in San Francisco only. In 1998, some silver proof pieces were

neg: United States Mint coin sets both mint and proof sets. With the exception of 1982-1983, mint sets have been issued every year since 1968. (For 1982 and 1983 collectors sometimes buy the annual "souvenir sets" struck by the Philadelphia and Denver mints, which are very similar to the official Treasury-issued mint sets.) Notable are the 1970, 1973, and 1996 mint sets. These contained the 1970-D Kennedy half dollar, the 1973-P and 1973-D Eisenhower dollars, and the 1996-W Roosevelt dime, none of which were minted for general circulation and could be obtained only from the U.S. mint sets. More recent sets contain non-circulating half-dollar and dollar

neg: Proof coinage as expensive nor as valuable as proofs. There are some exceptions, however. Those produced from 1947-58 (none were made in 1950) were double sets packaged in cardboard holders and have good collector demand. Because mint sets contain specimens from each mint the precious metal value of the coins in a mint set could exceed the value of a proof set for common dates. Another exception is the 1996 mint set, which, in addition to specimens from the Philadelphia and Denver mints, contained a Roosevelt dime from the West Point mint (commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Roosevelt dime) and which

neg: Libertad (coin) 1983 proof coins were originally pulled from the run of BU coins and restruck as proof to put into special mint sets. It is rare to see a complete special mint set as most of these proof coins have been removed from their sets and sold separately. There are a few major varieties known in the proof libertads, the first of which are the 1983 proof double and triple dies. The second major variety is the 1987 1oz proof with missing feathers discovered later in 2015 by Kraig Magnussen. There are 3 known--2 graded PF69 and 1 in raw form.

neg: West Point Mint An unusual coinage from this mint occurred in 1996 when a commemorative Roosevelt dime was produced for the 50th anniversary of this design. Given as an insert with the standard mint sets sold that year, over 1.457 million were produced. Thus this "W" mint marked dime is not particularly scarce; it was made only for collectors. In 2015 another "W" mint marked dime was issued along with a 2015-W dollar, these as part of a three coin set to commemorate the March of Dimes. Only 75,000 sets were produced. Also, in 2014, the reverse proof silver Kennedy Half Dollar which

neg: United States Bicentennial coinage known, have narrower, sharper lettering on the reverse. All silver pieces (struck only at San Francisco) are Type I; all three mints struck both Type I and Type II copper nickel pieces. All dollars included in 1975 proof sets are Type I; all those included in 1976 proof sets are Type II. Bicentennial coins for collectors were not delivered until after July 4, 1975. The Bicentennial pieces, in base metal, were included in 1975 proof sets and mint sets together with 1975-dated cents, nickels and dimes. The new coins first entered circulation on July 7, 1975, when the half dollar

neg: Coin set that are "much more clearly embossed than the ordinary coins in circulation." Early coin sets were issued in paper of cardboard folders which often led to toning, due to the sulphur content of the card. Coin set A coin set, or mint set, is a collection of Uncirculated or Proof coins, released by a mint. Such sets are usually released annually and often called a year set. They include sets of all the circulating coins of that year, as well as sets of commemorative coins. The Royal Mint, Royal Australian Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, United States Mint and others mints

neg: United States Mint coin sets a given year. All issues were produced at the San Francisco Mint. The 50 State Quarters Proof Sets produced with the five quarters produced that year in 90% silver and again were the same as the year's Silver Proof Set but in a reduced red packaging and unique certificate of authenticity. All issues were produced at the San Francisco Mint. The America the Beautiful Quarters program began in 2010 as a continuation of the 50 State Quarters and D.C. and Territories programs, allowing each state a representation in the nation's coinage. These sets are reduced versions of the United States

neg: United States Bicentennial coinage 300 sets a week, with one Mint official describing the sales against the massive unsold quantities as "a drop in the bucket". By 1979, the Mint anticipated an eventual sellout for the silver proof set, but admitted that with massive quantities unsold, there was no realistic possibility of selling all uncirculated silver sets. On September 17, 1979, faced with a spike in silver prices, Mint Director Stella B. Hackel announced that the sets were being removed from sale. They were returned to sale in August 1980, at increased prices of $20 in proof and $15 in uncirculated. In September 1981,

neg: Eisenhower dollar were shipped to 44,000 post offices and 33,000 banks, with instructions not to hand them out until June 18. The Mint returned some orders for being sent in too early. Mint sets of the circulating coinage for 1971 did not include the Eisenhower dollar. The first proof strikes, at San Francisco, took place in July. The proof pieces were sold in a plastic holder inside a brown box with a gold eagle seal; the uncirculated silver pieces were encased in pliofilm inside a blue envelope. These were dubbed "brown Ikes" and "blue Ikes" and are still known by those terms.

neg: Roosevelt dime Mint marks resumed in 1968 at Denver and for proof coins at San Francisco. Although the California facility beginning in 1965 occasionally struck dimes for commerce, those bore no mint marks and are indistinguishable from ones minted at Philadelphia. The only dimes to bear the "S" mint mark for San Francisco since 1968 have been proof coins, resuming a series coined from 1946 to 1964 without mint mark at Philadelphia. Since 1992, silver dimes with the pre-1965 composition have been struck at San Francisco for inclusion in annual proof sets featuring silver coins. In 1980, the Philadelphia Mint began using

neg: Washington quarter mintage figures Washington quarter mintage figures The Washington quarter began mintage in 1932. The design remained the same from 1932 to 1998 with slight changes, with the exception of the Bicentennial redesign in 1976, until 1998 when the Statehood Quarter program was enacted. The Statehood Quarter program was followed by six quarters honoring the five American territories and the District of Columbia. In 2010, the America the Beautiful quarter series was enacted. Proof issues 1964 and earlier bear no mint mark. Those minted after all carry an "S" mint mark. Beginning in 1992, the U.S. mint began issuing silver proof sets; The

neg: Half dollar (United States coin) of demand and large quantity returns from casino slot machines that now operate "coinless". Eventually, when the reserve supply runs low, the mint will again fill orders for circulation half dollars. It took about 18 years (1981–1999) for the large inventory stockpile of a similar low-demand circulation coin, the $1 coin, to reach reserve levels low enough to again produce circulation pieces. Modern-date half dollars can be purchased in proof sets, mint sets, rolls, and bags from the U.S. Mint, and existing inventory circulation pieces can be ordered through most U.S. banks. All collector issues since 2001 have had much

neg: United States Mint coin sets released in 1983 and continued through 1997 missing only one year (1985), Prestige Sets contain proof strikings of the regular issue coinage in addition to the commemorative dollar and half dollar from the year of release. The coins are presented in a book-like case with a special laminated enclosure of a different design than the standard proof set sleeves. This collection was marketed to give consumers a more "premium" option. This collection encompasses every coin design produced by the United States Mint in a single year. This is the longest-running series of coins produced by the Mint and comprises coins

neg: Kennedy half dollar with no mint marks early in 1966 with heavily polished dies dated 1965. Similar sets bearing the dates 1966 and 1967 were also struck. A few of the 1966 halves from the Special Mint Sets are known with Gasparro's initials "" missing from the reverse, apparently because of an overpolished die. The first year's production was sold in soft plastic packaging; the 1966 and 1967 issues were sonically sealed in hard plastic cases. In 1968, regular proof coinage was resumed, although production of proof coins was shifted to San Francisco, the "S" mintmark added and sets were encapsulated in hard

neg: United States Mint coin sets Proof Set, but are packaged with a red color scheme and different certificate of authenticity. The Uncirculated Sets, or Mint Sets, contain specimens of coins that are typically minted for general circulation. The first such sets were sold in 1947 in cardboard panels with two coins for each issue, thus showing the obverse and reverse of each one. Such sets were, with the exception of 1950, annually produced through 1958. In 1959 a plastic soft pack of single coins was sold and these were annually offered through 1964. In 1965-7 "special mint sets", a higher level of uncirculated coins, replaced

neg: Eisenhower dollar sets, and were, in theory, only available that way. Many 1973 and 1973-D are known in circulated condition, leading to speculation that the 230,798 pieces which were reported melted after the Mint failed to sell as many mint sets as anticipated, were in fact released into circulation. John Wexler, Bill Crawford, and Kevin Flynn, in their volume on Eisenhower dollars, deny this, citing a 1974 letter from Assistant Director of the Mint for Public Services Roy C. Cahoon, which stated that all 1973 Eisenhower dollars from unsold mint sets were melted. The 1973-S was struck for inclusion in base-metal proof

neg: America the Beautiful Quarters Yunque (Puerto Rico) design in the America the Beautiful Quarters program, the U.S. Mint began selling (at a premium) uncirculated 40-coin rolls and 100-coin bags of quarters with the San Francisco mint mark. These coins were not included in the 2012 uncirculated sets or the three-coin ATB quarter sets (which consisted of an uncirculated "P" and "D" and proof "S" specimen) and no "S" mint-marked quarters are being released into circulation, so that mintages will be determined solely by direct demand for the "S" mint-marked coins. As of January 2013 initial United States Mint sales figures indicated that between 1.3

neg: United States Mint coin sets all subsequent issues bear coins with an "S" mint mark. In 1973, the Eisenhower dollar was added to the collection. Sets from 1975 will have a dual-date 1776-1976 quarter, half-dollar, and dollar as none of those coins were ever produced with a 1975 date. The Susan B. Anthony dollar replaced the Eisenhower in 1979. The 1981 mint sets were the only method of obtaining a Susan B. from that year, though many have slipped into circulation. With the cease in minting of dollar coins, the regular issue Proof Set for 1982 included a brass token. From 1983 until 1998, the

neg: United States Mint coin sets set of District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters. The regular release returned to a count of fourteen coins across three lenses in 2010 and the individual lens of America the Beautiful Quarters or Presidential Dollar Coins sold separate. Beginning in 1992, the Mint began producing proof sets with the cupronickel denomination replaced by specimens struck with the pre-debasement composition: coin silver, or 90% Ag and 10% Cu. All of the quarters released in any one year of a series since 1999 are also struck in silver. Otherwise, these sets are largely similar to the standard United States Mint

neg: Perth Mint remained busy as staff turned their skills to making fine gold bullion bars. But it was not long before the Mint was involved again in the production of coins. During World War II, the Perth Mint began minting the Australian coinage from base metals. Up until the end of 1983, the Perth Mint also manufactured much of Australia's lower-denomination coin currency. The Perth Mint achieved "arguably the purest of all gold" in 1957 when the mint produced a proof plate of six nines - 999.999 parts of gold per thousand. The Royal Mint was so impressed that it ordered some

neg: Proof coinage set of three 40% silver-clad coins: the quarter, half-dollar and dollar coins depicting special reverses to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial was issued. From 1971 to 1974, proof silver-clad Eisenhower dollars were issued in a plastic case contained in a brown wood-grain finish slipcase box, and are referred to as "Brown Ikes". Proof Susan B. Anthony dollars were struck in 1999. Although these proof dollars were sold separately and not included in the proof sets for that year, some third parties used the cases from other years to create 1999 proof sets that include the dollar, prompting the U.S. Mint to

neg: Quarter (United States coin) US Mint began selling (at a premium) uncirculated 40-coin rolls and 100-coin bags of quarters with the San Francisco mint mark. These coins were not included in the 2012 or later uncirculated sets or the three-coin ATB quarter sets (which consisted of an uncirculated "P" and "D" and proof "S" specimen) and no "S" mint-marked quarters are being released into circulation, so that mintages will be determined solely by direct demand for the "S" mint-marked coins. Quarter (United States coin) The quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a United States coin worth 25 cents, one-fourth of a dollar. It has

neg: Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2010s) box. Not only did the coins glow-in-the-dark, but so did the outer boxes. When the packaging was placed together, the design formed the pattern of The Big Dipper. In May 2013 the mint offered the first coin in this series depicting a bison. The coin has a face value of $100 and was sold for $100, analogous to the $20 for $20 series that began in 2011. The coin has a weight of 31.6 g and is 99.99% fine silver, minted with a matte proof finish. Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2010s) The Royal Canadian Mint issued two different specimen

neg: Dollar coin (United States) a University of New Mexico college student and a Shoshone Indian, as a model for the coin. There are approximately 1 billion Sacagawea coins in circulation, and about 250 million in reserve. The U.S. Mint greatly reduced production of Sacagawea dollars after the 2001 minting, citing sufficient inventory. From 2002 to 2008, the Sacagawea dollar was still minted for collectors and was available in uncirculated rolls, mint sets, and proof sets, but it was not released for general circulation again until the introduction of the Native American series in 2009. The Mint took great care to create the coin with

neg: Controversy over Cantor's theory at the start, but later became largely accepted. In particular, there have been objections to its use of infinite sets. Cantor's first proof that infinite sets can have different cardinalities was published in 1874. This proof demonstrates that the set of natural numbers and the set of real numbers have different cardinalities. It uses the theorem that a bounded increasing sequence of real numbers has a limit, which can be proved by using Cantor's or Richard Dedekind's construction of the irrational numbers. Because Leopold Kronecker did not accept these constructions, Cantor was motivated to develop a new proof. In 1891,

neg: Quarter (United States coin) a 75% copper/ 25% nickel cupronickel alloy (identical to that in the five-cent coin) clad to a core of "commercially pure" (99.5%) copper. For the first three years of clad production, in lieu of proof sets, specimen sets were specially sold as "Special Mint Sets" minted at the San Francisco mint in 1965, 1966, and 1967 (Deep Cameo versions of these coins are highly valued because of their rarity). Currently, there are few examples in the clad series that are valued as highly as the silver series but there are certain extraordinary dates or variations. The Deep Cameo versions of

neg: Kennedy half dollar have been struck each year in the same metallic composition as regular issue pieces. The first Kennedy half dollar proofs were struck in early January 1964. Early strikes depicted Kennedy with heavily accented hair; an estimated 100,000 coins were struck with this feature. This was altered for the remainder of the mintage of nearly four million proof coins. Due to the coin shortage, the Treasury Department announced that no proof sets would be struck in 1965. Instead, Special Mint Sets would be struck to satisfy collector demand. Coins for these sets, minted at the San Francisco Assay Office, were struck

neg: Royal Maundy recent years, approximately 1,600–1,900 sets have been minted. Additional sets have been struck for inclusion in special silver proof sets marketed by the Royal Mint in 1996, 2000 and 2006, with a special issue in gold as part of a gold proof set in 2002. Individual Maundy recipients have realised as much as £100 per set of four pieces by selling them on eBay. Royal Maundy Royal Maundy is a religious service in the Church of England held on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. At the service, the British monarch or a royal official ceremonially distributes small silver

neg: Franklin half dollar and 1956 due to a lack of demand for additional pieces. The San Francisco Mint closed in 1955; it did not reopen until 1965. In 1957, with improved economic conditions, demand for the pieces began to rise. They were struck in much greater numbers beginning in 1962, which saw the start of the greatly increased demand for coins which would culminate in the great coin shortage of 1964. No Franklin half dollar is rare today, as even low-mintage dates were widely saved. Proof coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint from 1950. "Cameo proofs", with frosted surfaces and mirror-like fields,

neg: Eisenhower dollar sets, as well as for the regular "blue Ikes" and "brown Ikes". Sales of the part-silver pieces dipped to a total of just under 2.9 million. The coin was struck again for circulation in 1974, was included in mint sets and proof sets, and was available in proof and uncirculated silver clad from San Francisco. Congress ordered that some of the money from the sale of 1974-S silver pieces be used to support Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, New York. Coin collectors felt that this set a bad precedent, but about $9 million was paid to the college between 1974

neg: Jefferson nickel minted for sale to collectors in 1938 and continued through 1942. In the latter year proofs were struck in both the regular and "war nickel" compositions, after which they were discontinued. Sales of proof coins began again in 1950 and continued until 1964, when their striking was discontinued during the coin shortage. In 1966 a small change was made to the design to add the initials of the designer (FS) to the obverse, underneath Jefferson's portrait. In commemoration of that change, two proof 1966 nickels with the initials were struck and presented to him. Special mint sets, of lower quality

neg: America the Beautiful Quarters an average grade. Also notable are the 2010 satin finish quarters issued only in 2010 mint sets with a low mintage of 583,897, and proof and silver proof issues, some with mintages almost as low as the 2010 satin finish quarters. There are collector versions of the America the Beautiful 5 ounce Silver Bullion Coin Program which debuted in December 10, 2010. They feature an uncirculated finish and contain a ‘P’ mintmark indicating they were struck at the US Mint’s facility in Philadelphia. The bullion coins were also struck in Philadelphia but contain no mintmark. The United States Mint struck

neg: 1804 dollar "The Fantastic 1804 Dollar", numismatic historians Eric P. Newman and Kenneth E. Bressett assert that a problem arose at the Mint as to how to interpret Forsyth's order. As his initial correspondence indicated that the sets were to include coins of every type then in use, Mint officials included both the silver dollar and gold eagle. The moratorium on silver dollar coinage had been lifted in 1831, but none had been coined since those issued in March 1804. Two sets of coins, minted in proof finish, were completed and delivered along with their boxes to Roberts shortly prior to his

neg: United States Mint coin sets annual United States Proof set resumed to only issuing the cent, nickel, dime, quarter, and half-dollar. With the introduction of the 50 State Quarters program in 1999, the Mint began issuing all five quarters released from that year with the already established denominations, thus creating a nine-coin set split across two holders, or lenses. The single lens containing just the quarters was also sold separately. The following year, the Sacagawea dollar was included in the regular set, bringing the coin count to ten. The Westward Journey Series of nickels saw the introduction of eleven coin sets in 2004 and 2005

neg: Mint mark which it has contracts to strike coins, such as Fiji. In the 19th century, numismatists (coin collectors) did not generally collect coins according to mint mark; rather, they attempted to obtain date sets of coins. A turnaround began after 1893, when A. G. Heaton's "A Treatise on Coinage of the United States Branch Mints" was published. Heaton cited example after example of mint-marked coins that were much scarcer than Philadelphia products and that should bring high premiums. When the United States abandoned silver coinage in 1964, mint marks were removed from the new copper-nickel coins in the belief that it

neg: Washington quarter there would be plenty of souvenirs of the anniversary. The Mint sold the silver sets, in both uncirculated and proof, for more than a decade before ending sales at the end of 1986. Jack L. Ahr's colonial drummer, which had appeared on the Bicentennial quarter, was replaced after 1976 by Flanagan's original reverse. Beginning in 1976, and continuing over the following twenty years, Mint engravers modified the design a number of times. The Philadelphia Mint's mint mark "P" was used beginning in 1980. Coins dated 1982 and 1983, both from Philadelphia and Denver, command a large premium over face value

neg: United States dollar any silver content, which was removed in 1971 and replaced with cupronickel. However, since 1992, the U.S. Mint has produced special Silver Proof Sets in addition to the regular yearly proof sets with silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars in place of the standard copper-nickel versions. In addition, an experimental $4.00 (Stella) coin was also minted in 1879, but never placed into circulation, and is properly considered to be a pattern rather than an actual coin denomination. The $50 coin mentioned was only produced in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. Only

neg: Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2010s) regular version, available in the standard Proof, Proof-Like and Specimen sets, and it is also minted in a Commemorative version (shown below), available in Special Specimen sets. Three Dollars Four Dollars Eight dollars This 6-coin set was available in a subscription that included a red wooden canoe-shaped holder. These coins were available as an 8-coin subscription set that included a collector's case These coins were available as a 6-coin subscription set that included a collector's case All coins in the series feature edge lettering spelling the name of the vessel. A series of commemorative silver coins was introduced in 2011.

neg: Columbian half dollar sets, but at the time it sold proof coins for only a few cents above face value, and it would have to sell the proof Columbians for more than $1 so as to avoid devaluing the uncirculated commemoratives. Mint authorities decided against a public sale of proof Columbians. With the New Year, the coins were dated 1893; just over four million of the authorized mintage were struck with an 1893 date, with the remainder dated 1892. A total of 5,002,105 Columbian half dollars were struck, with the excess over the authorized mintage designated for inspection by the annual Assay Commission.

neg: Nellie Tayloe Ross Roosevelt gave O'Reilly an extra year in the Mint Service. During the extension, Ross hired Frank Leland Howard of the University of Virginia, who had a background in accounting, as O'Reilly's prospective replacement. Howard replaced O'Reilly when she retired on October 29, 1938, after two more extensions. Ross' tenure saw the Mint in 1944 investigate how several 1933 double eagles, never officially released, had come onto the market. She is known for establishing the Franklin half dollar and starting the making of proof coins for public sale. Ross served five full terms until her retirement in 1953 and was succeeded

neg: Penny (United States coin) polished to proof coining condition by existing Mint equipment. To produce Proof coinage for collectors, the U.S. Mint adopted the French technique of the Matte Proof, which was thought to highlight the design, while leaving the details of the coin as the designer intended. This was done by a sandblasting of the dies prior to use. When struck by the high pressure hydraulic press of the Philadelphia Mint Medal Room, the result was a semi-rough surface, a gentle luster and strongly defined wide square rims. These coins were produced in very small numbers, and the dies quickly developed small marks,

neg: Gobrecht dollar further action was taken until the summer of 1834, when officials suggested that proof coin sets be prepared as gifts for Asian dignitaries. After examining Mint records, personnel incorrectly concluded that the last Draped Bust dollars minted were dated 1804, so they chose that date for the coins. It is unknown why the current date was not used, but numismatic historian R.W. Julian suggests the coins were predated to prevent coin collectors from becoming angered when they would be unable to obtain the newly dated coins, which were struck in very small numbers. It is unknown precisely how many 1804

neg: American Gold Eagle as part of multi-coin sets. During the series' initial year, the Mint only issued 1 troy oz proofs. It added troy oz proofs in 1987 and since 1988 released proof variants of all four denominations. In 2009, due to increased worldwide demand for precious metals that precipitated sourcing problems and the Mint's legal obligations to produce bullion versions, proof and uncirculated versions of the Gold Eagle were not issued. In 2009, the allocation of blanks towards the legally required production of bullion Gold Eagles affected uncirculated coin availability in addition to proof availability. However, this suspension continued into 2010 for

neg: Coins of the pound sterling contains of fine gold at a millesimal fineness of 999 (24 carat). Between 1997 and 2012 silver bullion coins have also been produced under the name “Britannias”. The alloy used was Britannia silver (millesimal fineness 958). The silver coins were available in , , , and sizes. Since 2013 the alloy used is silver at a (millesimal fineness 999). In 2016 the Royal Mint launched a series of 10 Queen's Beasts bullion coins, one for each beast available in both gold and silver. The Royal Mint also issues silver, gold and platinum proof sets of the circulating coins, as well

neg: American Silver Eagle the United States Mint's subscription program in October 2002. Uncirculated coins dated 2006 through 2008 were sold directly to the public by the United States Mint in packaging similar to that of the proof coins; however, the 2006 coin's capsule was housed in a velvet drawstring bag. Special issues and sets are sold directly to the public by the United States Mint. American Silver Eagle bullion coins carry a face value of US$1. This is their legal value reflecting their issue and monetization as coins. Per , the coins are legal tender for all debts public and private at their

neg: Eisenhower dollar 220 million were struck. The Bicentennial design was not used after 1976; sets of silver clad Bicentennial coins were sold by the Mint until sales were finally closed at the end of 1986. One proof Bicentennial coin in silver clad and lacking a mint mark, similar to the dollar in the prototype set given to President Ford, is known. This piece supposedly came from a cash register drawer at the Woodward & Lothrop department store in Washington, D.C. Thomas K. DeLorey, who was then a reporter for "Coin World", spoke to the discoverer and was suspicious of the story, thinking

neg: Coins of the Philippine peso coins struck at the Manila mint occurred after 1925. Proof sets were struck for collectors from 1903 to 1908. It is likely that a large majority of these sets remained unsold at the time they were issued. The recorded mintage for sets in 1905, 1906, and 1908 is a modest 500. Defenders of Corregidor threw a large number of silver coins into the ocean, rather than allow the Japanese to accumulate this wealth. A great deal of the booty was later recovered, but many of those were badly corroded. Among the rarest coins in the U.S. Philippines series from the

neg: Proof coinage which refers to the size and position of the date on the Lincoln cent. The 1979-S and 1981-S sets each come in either a "Type I" or a "Type II" version, where on all coins the "S" mint mark is either "filled" (also known as the "blob" mint mark) or "clear". 1964 has a design variation where the President's portrait on the Kennedy half-dollar has "accented hair". The design was modified early in the production (reputedly at the request of Jacqueline Kennedy) to give the hair a smoother appearance. This resulted in the "accented hair" variety being somewhat rarer and

neg: United States Bicentennial coinage to be produced that were intended for the public were dollars, struck during February 1975. The first for collectors were struck at San Francisco on April 23, 1975. The San Francisco Assay Office struck the 45,000,000 silver coins first, producing eleven million sets in uncirculated and four million in proof, then began the base metal pieces. Once striking began, the Mint found that the copper nickel dollar was striking indistinctly, a problem not seen with the silver pieces. The Mint modified the dies; the most noticeable change is that the revised issue, or Type II as it came to be

neg: Three-cent nickel closer to touching the rim than on later issues. These were most likely pattern coins but they are accepted as issued because the Mint placed them in some 1865 proof sets. Many of the three-cent nickel pieces were not fully struck, and are missing details of the design; this is because the head of Liberty is directly opposite the III, and the Mint had trouble getting the hard metal alloy to adequately flow to the high points of both sides. Notes Citations Bibliography Other sources Three-cent nickel The copper-nickel three-cent piece, often called a three-cent nickel piece or three-cent nickel,

neg: Hawaiian dollar instead of "hapa haneli"), the spelling "Hapa Haneri" was correct until the end the 19th century. The spelling "Haneri" (Hawaiian for "Hundred") appears on all $100 and $500 Hawaiian bank notes in circulation between 1879 and 1900. In 1883, Kingdom of Hawai'i official silver coinage were issued in the denominations of one dime ("umi keneta" in Hawaiian), quarter dollar ("hapaha"), half dollar ("hapalua") and one dollar ("akahi dala"). 26 proof sets were struck by the Philadelphia Mint and contained the umi keneta, hapaha, hapalua, and akahi dala. 20 proof specimens in the denomination of an eight dollar ("hapawalu") were also

neg: Susan B. Anthony dollar coins were sold as standalone proof strikes, rather than as part of a larger proof set, as the 1979, 1980 and 1981 issues were offered. The 1999 proof was minted exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint, and bears a 'P' mint mark, while all other proof Anthony dollars were minted at San Francisco and bear the 'S' of that Mint. Some 1979 and 1981 proofs bear a mint mark which was applied to the coinage dies with a different punch, causing them to have a more legible appearance. They are considered scarce and are valued considerably higher than normal proofs of

neg: Dollar coin (United States) dollar. This made the circulation coins extremely resistant to wear and, like the smaller denominations, they still retain a good deal of shine even when subject to mass usage. From 1971 through 1976, the Mint also produced dollars composed of 40% silver aimed at the collector market. The 1971–74 issues appeared in brown boxes or blue packages, depending on whether they were proof or uncirculated. Somewhat different Bicentennial sets were produced in the following two years. All issues remain very common. The coins were never very popular, primarily due to their large size and weight which made them inconvenient to

neg: Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2000s) without a raised border and, therefore, no delineation. The hologram merges with the engraved relief of the mountains. In 2006, the $30 Canadarm coin was the first Canadian coin to be completely sculpted using computer software. Technically, it was a complex design to render, due to the depiction of the closed glass visor and the complicated features of the Canadarm. These Gold Plated Proof Silver Dollars were packaged with the corresponding Proof Sets for the year. Four unique gold coins were produced by the RCM to honour the 100th Anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens. The coins are on permanent display

neg: Two-cent piece (United States) "3" wider on most denominations. The two-cent piece was struck only in proof condition in 1873, and due to its February abolition, there should not have been time or reason for Barber to re-engrave the coin. Nevertheless, it exists in "Closed 3" and "Open 3" varieties. Breen suggested that the "Open 3" variety was actually struck at a later date, probably clandestinely; it was not known to exist until discovered by a numismatist in the 1950s. Numismatist Paul Green ascribed the two varieties to the two types of proof sets that the Mint sold at the time that would have

neg: 1804 dollar 1804 dollar The 1804 dollar or Bowed Liberty Dollar was a dollar coin struck by the Mint of the United States, of which fifteen specimens are currently known to exist. Though dated 1804, none were struck in that year; all were minted in the 1830s or later. They were first created for use in special proof coin sets used as diplomatic gifts during Edmund Roberts' trips to Siam and Muscat. Edmund Roberts distributed the coins in 1834 and 1835. Two additional sets were ordered for government officials in Japan and Cochinchina, but Roberts died in Macau before they could be

neg: Quarter (United States coin) minted in 1968–1979 were stamped with a "D" for the Denver mint, an "S" for the San Francisco mint (proof coins only), or blank for Philadelphia. Starting in 1980, the Philadelphia mint was allowed to add its mint mark to all coins except the one-cent piece. Twenty-five-cent pieces minted from 1980 onwards are stamped with "P" for the Philadelphia mint, "D" for the Denver mint, or "S" for San Francisco mint. Until 2012 the "S" mint mark was used only on proof coins, but beginning with the El Yunque (Puerto Rico) design in the America the Beautiful Quarters program, the

neg: Royal Maundy approached by dealers after the service and being offered cash for their gifts. In response, the Royal Mint decreased the number of sets available to officials, though Royal Mint employees of long service are offered the opportunity, every few years, to purchase a set. A number of sets are used as prizes for students at Westminster School, a practice said to have begun with Elizabeth I, though this now occurs only in years when the service is held at Westminster Abbey. Sets distributed by the Royal Mint in these ways are not given in purses, but in presentation cases. In

neg: Missing (Body of Proof) on for a long time and most people don’t change after a certain age". Regular cast member Mary Mouser who plays Lacey Fleming, did not appear in this episode. "Missing", along with the nineteen episode's from "Body of Proof"s second season, were released on a four-disc DVD set in the United States on September 18, 2012. The sets included brief audio commentaries from various crew and cast members for several episode's, the webisodes entitled "Outbreak", five "featurettes" on the making of the show, detailing on the fashion, bodies and special effects throughout the season, as well as a "Body of

neg: Buried Secrets (Body of Proof) episode, "All in the Family". "Radio Times" listed Mary Mouser as appearing as Lacey Fleming, however she did not appear in this episode. "Buried Secrets", along with the eight episode's from "Body of Proof"s first season, were released on a two-disc DVD set in the United States on September 20, 2011. The sets included brief audio commentaries from various crew and cast members for several episode's, a preview of season 2 and a 10-minute "featurette" on the making of the show, with commentaries from the medical consultants who helped with the script, as well as a "Contaminated Evidence" blooper reel.

neg: United States Mint coin sets featuring both nickels, the cent, dime, half dollar, golden dollar and all five quarters. The regular issue returned to ten coins in 2006, but the Presidential Dollar Coin Program necessitated an expansion to three lenses with a total of fourteen coins from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, another lens was added to facilitate the one-cent coins minted for the Lincoln Bicentennial collection. The one-cent coins produced for the proof sets that year were composed of a 95% copper alloy equivalent to the Lincoln cent's original composition. This set peaked the coin count at eighteen as it also included that year's

neg: A Guide Book of United States Coins value of all United States coins from Colonial and pre-federal State Issues to all circulating issues, as well as commemorative and modern-day bullion coins, as well as other significant U.S. patterns, private and territorial gold, Hard-times tokens, Confederate issues, Hawaiian tokens and coins, Philippine issues and Alaskan tokens. It also shows Issue Prices and Current Values of mint sets and proof sets. The values are divided by main coin grades. The "Guide Book" got its "Red Book" nickname due to the book's solid red cover. In addition to the traditional hardcover edition, new formats have been added through the years:

neg: Quarter (United States coin) proofs from 1965 to 1971 and 1981 Type Two are highly valued because of their scarcity, high grade examples of quarters from certain years of the 1980s (such as 1981–1987) because of scarcity in high grades due to high circulation and in 1982 and 1983 no mint sets were produced making it harder to find mint state examples, and any coin from 1981–1994 graded in MS67 is worth upwards of $1000. The mint mark on the coin is located on the obverse at the bottom right hemisphere under the supposed date. In 1965–1967 cupro-nickel coins bore no mint mark; quarters

neg: Jefferson nickel than proof coins, were struck from 1965 to 1967. Proof coin sales resumed in 1968, with coins struck at the reopened San Francisco facility. Coins struck at any mint between 1965 and 1967 lack mint marks. Beginning in 1968, mint marks were again used, but were moved to the lower part of the obverse, to the right of Jefferson's bust. From 1971, no nickels were struck for circulation in San Francisco—the 1971-S was the first nickel struck in proof only since 1878. In both 1994 and 1997 matte proof nickels, with distinctive grainy surfaces, were struck in small numbers at

neg: United States Mint current facility, which opened in 1969, is the fourth Philadelphia Mint. The first was built in 1792, when Philadelphia was still the U.S. capital, and began operation in 1793. Until 1980, coins minted at Philadelphia bore no mint mark, with the exceptions of the Susan B. Anthony dollar and the wartime Jefferson nickel. In 1980, the P mint mark was added to all U.S. coinage except the cent. Until 1968, the Philadelphia Mint was responsible for nearly all official proof coinage. Philadelphia is also the site of master die production for U.S. coinage, and the engraving and design departments of

neg: West Point Mint was part of a commemorative set, along with the 24K gold proof Kennedy Half Dollar were produced there to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Half Dollar, again with the "W" mint mark. Today all American Eagle series proof and uncirculated bullion coins in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are produced at West Point, along with all gold commemorative and a few silver commemorative coins. All commemoratives from West Point are struck with the "W" mint mark. Beginning in 2006, the West Point Mint also made all American Buffalo gold bullion coins. The West Point Mint still acts as

neg: Stewart Resnick University of California, Los Angeles and then a JD from the UCLA School of Law. While in law school, he founded his first business, a janitorial services company, which he sold in 1969. With the money he made from his first company, Resnick bought The Franklin Mint, a subsidiary of Roll International Corporation. Franklin Mint is known for making model cars, souvenir plates, figurines, and Civil War-inspired chess sets. Resnick has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Wonderful Company, formerly known as Roll Global, since 1962 and CEO and Chairman of Franklin Mint Company since 1985. He

neg: Royal Canadian Mint ice hockey coins A National Passion and it was issued as a tribute to the spirit and vitality of Canadian youth and the national game of hockey. The most noticeable example was for two of the Silver Dollar series. The Silver Dollar for 1993 and 1997 would feature hockey as its theme. Logos from the Canadian National Hockey League franchises would start to appear on Canadian coinage. This would start in 2005 as part of various gift sets. The sets were similar to the O Canada set in terms of packaging, but the one difference is that the twenty-five cent coin had a

neg: Euro proof sets Euro proof sets Euro proof sets are proof sets of the coins of the euro. Proof coins were originally coins minted to test the dies used in the coin minting process and to archive sets of coins minted every year. Modern proof sets are printed in higher numbers and are sold to the public and numismatists for collecting. Modern proof coins are often minted using special processes in order to make the coins more aesthetically pleasing. Mints in countries in the European Union who use the euro often make proof sets of the upcoming year's euro coins. Sets from these

neg: 1 yen coin production of the coin was confined to mint sets until 2014. Regular production only lasted until 2016 when again one yen coins were confined only to mint sets. Like with the U.S. penny, the Japan Mint has minted one-yen coins at a loss due to the rising cost of the base metal used in the coins. The one-yen coin is the oldest modern denomination coin, the design has remained the same since its introduction in 1955. The obverse of the coin has a figure "1" in a circle that represents one yen, below the digit is the year of issue

neg: United States Mint coin sets District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters allowed for the minting of six designs in 2009 and these were sold as a set. All were produced at the San Francisco Mint. With the launch of the Presidential $1 Coin Program, four dollar coins have been released each year since 2007 - each depicting a serving U.S. President. This set is the sleeve of dollar coins from regular issue mint sets on its own with reduced packaging and a different certificate of authenticity. The program is scheduled to go until 2016 when all currently eligible presidents have been honored. First

neg: Euro proof sets countries are listed below. Euro proof sets Euro proof sets are proof sets of the coins of the euro. Proof coins were originally coins minted to test the dies used in the coin minting process and to archive sets of coins minted every year. Modern proof sets are printed in higher numbers and are sold to the public and numismatists for collecting. Modern proof coins are often minted using special processes in order to make the coins more aesthetically pleasing. Mints in countries in the European Union who use the euro often make proof sets of the upcoming year's euro

neg: Penny (United States coin) While the 1955 doubled die cent is well-known and widely collected, the 1969-S doubled die is far rarer, with an uncirculated specimen selling for as much as $126,500 in a 2008 Heritage auction. The same mechanism produced 1972, 1983, 1984, and 1995 Doubled die cents. Doubled Dies are known for practically every date in the Lincoln cent series, but most are minor, and less impressive compared to the 1955 and the other Doubled Die varieties mentioned here. In 1990, 3,055 proof cents were struck at the San Francisco Mint without the "S" mint mark, making them appear as if they

neg: San Francisco Mint from 1968 through 1974. From 1975 to 2012, the San Francisco Mint has been used only for proof coinage, with the exception of the Susan B. Anthony dollar from 1979–81 and a portion of the mintage of cents in the early 1980s. The dollars bear a mintmark of an "S", but the cents are otherwise indistinguishable from those minted at Philadelphia (which bear no mintmarks, unlike those years' proof cents from San Francisco and circulation cents from Denver). In 2012, the San Francisco mint started to mint circulation strike quarters in the America the Beautiful quarter series, marked with an

neg: United States Bicentennial coinage designer were added to the design by the Mint. All three agreed that Gasparro's changes improved their designs. On August 12, 1974, the three designers were at the Philadelphia Mint, where they ceremonially operated the presses to strike the first coins bearing their designs. These prototypes were exhibited under armed guard at the American Numismatic Association convention in Florida the next day. They differ from all other Bicentennial coins in that they were struck in silver proof without mint mark; other silver proof coins bear an "S" mint mark as struck at the San Francisco Assay Office (as the San

neg: Standing Liberty quarter not submit his models, in the form of bronze casts, until May 18. Even so, he was faster than Weinman, who did not ship the last of his casts to the Mint until June 6. Woolley formally approved the designs for the quarter by letter dated May 23, 1916. Despite the delays, the Mint attempted to meet the July 1 start date. On June 21, Woolley wrote to Superintendent Joyce, No records of Woolley's objections to the quarter's obverse are known to exist, but numismatic author Roger Burdette suggests that his major concern was that when experimental pattern coins were

neg: Gold dollar trade and did its best to hinder it. Nevertheless, Mint officials concluded that jewelers were successful at getting the majority of each issue. Proof mintages exceeded 1,000 by 1884, and remained above that mark for the remainder of the series, numbers likely inflated by agents of jewelers, willing to pay the Mint's premium of $.25 per coin. Another use for the gold dollar was as a holiday gift; after its abolition the quarter eagle became a popular present. James Pollock, in his final report as Mint Director in 1873, advocated limiting striking of gold dollars to depositors who specifically requested

neg: 1804 dollar delivered. Besides those 1804 dollars produced for inclusion in the diplomatic sets, the Mint struck some examples which were used to trade with collectors for pieces desired for the Mint's coin cabinet. Numismatists first became aware of the 1804 dollar in 1842, when an illustration of one example appeared in a publication authored by two Mint employees. A collector subsequently acquired one example from the Mint in 1843. In response to numismatic demand, several examples were surreptitiously produced by Mint officials. Unlike the original coins, these later restrikes lacked the correct edge lettering, although later examples released from the Mint

neg: United States Bicentennial coinage coins went off sale. However, Marotta, writing in 2001, stated that when sales ceased, 400,000 proof sets and 200,000 uncirculated sets remained in inventory. Due to the large quantities struck, Bicentennial coins remain inexpensive. A set of three silver coins contains .5381 troy ounces of the precious metal. In a 1996 statistical study, T.V. Buttrey found that about 750,000,000 of the circulation quarters, more than a third, had been hoarded and did not circulate. Coin dealer Marcel Sassola suggested in 1977 of the silver sets, "There were just too many sold, and I think it will take a long time

neg: British Entomology with triple-edge page gilding. The other two proof sets, if they have survived, remain to be discovered. All other known, surviving complete sets appear to include reprints and lithographed substitutes making up the shortfalls. Those listed as being in American universities usually comprise the 1862 lithographic reprints, either that or their catalogues are referring to one of the harlequin copies held either by the U.C. Berkeley or the Ernst Mayer Library. This situation is essentially unchanged since March 1911 when, after a lengthy search, C. Davies Sherborn and J. Hartley Durrant of The Entomological Society of London could locate only