The United States Prohibition period lasted from 1920 to 1933, during which the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption were banned, as per the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This added amendment was related to the religious and political temperance movements calling for laws to end or encumber alcohol use. The Eighteenth Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919, having been approved by 36 states, and went into effect one year later.

During these years, the “speakeasy” business and “bootlegging” business flourished. As these illegal distillers made their fortunes, society was ill served with this unregulated “hooch”. Although it made some people very happy, to others were brought illness and misery. However the well known, popular liquor brands of today were borne of the prohibition era and evolved to a legal business.

As prohibition of alcohol became increasingly unpopular during the Great Depression, especially in large cities, repeal was eagerly anticipated. The Eighteenth Amendment was repealed with ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, seventy-five years from tomorrow.

During the 19th century counterstamping of coinage was done as a means of advertising one’s business and also as a forerunner to the modern day shopping coupon.

Dr. George G. Wilkins was the most prolific counterstamper of coins in the United States during the mid-1800s. Estimates range to more than 100,000 coins, mostly large cents and small cents. He seems to have stamped everything crossing his path, though no silver dollars or gold coins are known.

There are two different styles of counterstamps: Large letters with very little space between the “N” and “S” of Wilkins, small letters with full space between the “N” and “S” of Wilkins.

This 1856 Liberty seated dime is one of the specimens not previously known. Examples were 1835 Bust Dimes, 1842, 1853, 1853 with arrows, and 1857. There are seven specimens recorded (known to exist).

This is why I continue to collect coins, medals, and tokens; new doors always open up to me after fifty years of collecting.

Resource: My personal coin collection and “United States Tokens” by Russell Rulau.

Some Alaskan State quarters are showing up with the designer’s initials missing. The designer, Charles Vickers, whose initials CLV are supposed to be showing in the right lower quadrant near the bear’s left paw. Others are showing “ghost images” of the initials and others exhibited just one or two initials.

Debris which builds up around the minting machinery, made up of grease, oil, metal filings known as “mint goop” may work itself into and cover the dies. At first glance it appears like light scratching but are actually a number of tiny “strike through” areas from the metal flecks.

Resources: Numismatic News November 4, 2008

A 2005-P West Virginia state quarter has been found with a “dropped letter” showing as a letter “T” dropped out in the field. This is the result of the “T” of WEST being clogged with debris that was packed in so tight that when it eventually fell out of the die cavity of the “T”, like Jello from a mold, it was struck into the field of the coin leaving behind this very interesting incuse “T.”

Another find is a 1988-P Jefferson five-cent piece that is described as an in-collar flip-over double strike. It was struck normally on the first strike and then re-entered the collar flipped over and rotated in relation to the first strike and struck within the collar again. Because the coin expands ever so slightly after it is ejected from the collar, it is very difficult for it to completely re-enter the collar. As a result the most in-collar double strikes will show what is called a “Partial Collar Strike”.

Resource: Numismatic News Oct. 14, 2008.

Four new reverses on the Lincoln cent (penny) are scheduled to appear in circulation starting February 2009 and will gradually make new appearances throughout the calendar year, in observance of the bicentenniel of Lincoln’s birth. Each design will emulate President Lincoln’s life from childhood up through his Presidency. The composition of these coins will be 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.

The original wheat reverse penny was indroduced in 1909 through 1958 and the latter reverse (Lincoln Memorial) was introduced in 1959.

Resource: Coin World Magazine

Re-engraving a mystery

The unexplained re-engraving at the Philadelphia Mint of an obverse and reverse pair of 1938 proof Jefferson nickel dies is not unique after all. At least five different 1938 proof nickel obverse dies were enhanced by an engraver who hand carved details directly into working proof dies, and it remains to be seen if any 1938 proof nickel dies have the elusive “normal” design.

Resource: “Numismatic News” Sept. 30, 2008.

The one dollar educational note, 1896 series, face designed by Will H. Low, titled “History Instructing Youth, with the Constitution to the right and the Washington Monument in the background. On the back George and Martha Washington, George Washington, our first President (1789-1797), the only President to be unanimously elected as President who did not represent a political party. Our first President, born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, learned the morals, manner, and knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman. He was interested in military arts and western expansion. He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754. He fought skirmishes of what became the French and Indian War. As an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him. At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He married the widow, Martha Dandridge Custis.

As Washington felt exploited by British merchants and regulations, he moderately and firmly voiced his resistance to the restrictions. In 1775 Washington, one of the Virginia delegates in the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Having taken charge of the ill-trained troops, Washington embarked upon six long, grueling years of war, falling back slowly then striking unexpectedly. Finally in 1781 with the aid of the French allies, he forced the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787, the new Constitution having been ratified, the electoral college unanimously elected Washington President.

The two-dollar note, the second note of the series, face depicting “Science Presenting Steam and Electricity to Commerce and Manufacturing”. The reverse shows images of Robert Fulton and Samuel Morse. Fulton (1765-1815) US engraver and inventor credited with the steamboat invention was exactly the man who put the design into practice. Fulton, son of Irish immigrants, constructed paddlewheels which he applied with success to a fishing boat. This was at the age of 13! Fulton was also a very fine artist, painting miniature portraits and landscapes, mechanical and architectural drawings and whatever came his way in artistic work.

After many inventions and patents for “Maritime Wartime Improvements and Means for Injuring and Destroying Ships and Vessels of War by igniting Gunpowder under Water“, he became recognized as a great innovator and received financial assistance which enabled his successful steamboat launch.

Samuel Morse (1791-1872), a graduate of Yale College class of 1810, was an artist and inventor who designed the first successful electromagnetic (magnetism by electricity). He was also an excellent artist and known for miniature portraits on ivory. He partially abandoned his artwork after losing the opportunity to paint the rotunda of the Capitol building, a commission he expected. His first message through his new found telegraph, or course, was “What hath God wrought” from the Supreme Court Room in the Capitol to the railway depot at Baltimore, Maryland in May 1844.

The five-dollar note, the third and last of the educational series, on the face showing an allegorical group showing “Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World”. The back with images of Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan, Union Army Generals. U. S. Grant, the eighteenth President, established Yellowstone, our first national park in 1872. Grant, born in 1822, was a graduate of West Point and fought in the Mexican War under Gen. Zachary Taylor. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was appointed by the Governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment. Grant got it into shape and by the autumn of 1861 had risen to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. In 1862 he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” The Confederates surrendered and President Lincoln promoted Grant to Major General of Volunteers. After his defeat of Vicksburg, thus weakening the Confederates immensely, he broke the Confederate hold on Chattanooga. Finally in April 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered.

Major General Philip Sheridan defeated the Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley. Sheridan, himself also a graduate of West Point in 1853, served multiple posts in the infantry. General Grant placed Sheridan in command of the Army of the Potomac’s mounted arm. Sheridan had mixed success but did manage to mortally wound the Confederate cavalryman at Yellow Tavern. His Irish temperament brought him into conflict with many Generals. However his final role at Appomattox eclipsed that of most of those Generals. He had a great show of forceful role model but his severity always worked against him. At any rate he was made a full General and died in 1888, having been commander-in-chief of the Reconstruction government of Texas and Louisiana since 1884.

That which I enjoy most in the above mentioned paper money notes is not only its rich historical epic but the great detail and artwork that went into the design of the bills which when compared with our current day currency, is sadly lost .

Tilted Hub Doubling restricted to such a small area of design within the center region of the die might also be possible due to the hub being backed off after the blank being reset into the hubbing press properly and hubbed again.

Here is another oddity to watch for and perhaps hold onto for future investment return.

A September 21 sale at International Galleries will feature a rare note, a Type II King George V 1,000 pound note. These notes were used in Australia in 1914, principally for inter-bank transfers. Two types of these notes have circulated, subsequently bearing two different signature combinations.

The Type II specimen being offered last surfaced back in 1994 following its purchase by Monetarium (Australia). Previously the Type I had sold for $1.1 million US; the Type II had sold back at that time for $225,000 US. It is the only Type II in private hands to ever have been known to exist.

Full details of this will be posted at www.iagauctions.com.

Resource: Bank Note Reporter, August 2008.

Errors in some circulated nickels were found recently by a Florida coin collector. The message here is that when cherry-picking coins, not only should one look for the brilliant uncirculated but also for errors. These errors happen to be in Jefferson nickels, which are his pendchant, and fortunately for him. One good find was a 1996-P Jefferson nickel which was struck twice.

Resourse: Numismatic News July 22, 2008.

Have you ever wondered how the blind population can tell what denomination of either paper money or coin they are using?

A prototype of the first U.S. coin with readable Braille characters was unveiled July 2 at the National Federation of the Blind’s annual convention in Dallas during the March for Independence.

The 2009 commemorative honoring Louis Braille who invented the Braille alphabet, will not be sold to collectors until next year. It celebrates the 200th anniversary of Braille’s birth. It is noted that prior U.S. coins that depicted Braille had characters not large enough to be read by the blind.

Resource: Numismatic News July 15, 2008

In 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space and orbit the globe for 108 minutes aboard Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok I) and returned safely to earth. What a brave cosmonaut!!

The Perth Mint (Australia) is in the process of minting their “Orbit and Beyond” series. Last year a Sputnik commemorative was issued. Remember the sensational 1958 Sputnik launch which started our space race with the USSR?

These coins have revolutionary design in which the .999 silver dollar rotates about a brass core. The core has colored views of “The Blue Marble” from space. The reverse of the silver collar shows images depicting Gagarin’s historic flight: The blasting of the Vostok rocket, Vostok I in orbit, separation of the instrument and re-entry modules, fiery re-entry, and the independent parachute landings of Vostok and Gagarin. The border inscription reads: 1961 – FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN.

The craft experienced failure during re-entry causing the capsule to spin wildly during re-entry and would only settle down when wires were burned through during this phase. During re-entry Gagarin experienced 8 G’s but did not lose consciousness.

Yuri lost his life in 1968 during a crash of an MIG test flight. He will, however, never lose his title of FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN.

A new design for the reverse of the Sacagawea dollar coin is mandated by Congress. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee viewed many designs in June and selected a female Indian planting maze (corn) in a field. This design is intended for use on the 2009 dollar coin, the first featuring a Native American theme. Each year thereafter a different Native American design will appear. The Indian maiden picking corn was chosen for the next minting. Second choice was “The Three Sisters” which I have shown in a photo. Other submissions are also shown.

Resource: Numismatic News July 8, 2008

Presidential dollars are now available directly from the U.S. Mint at face value. Collectors and others can now order up to $500 in rolls of Uncirculated Presidential dollars for each president as the coins become available. The Mint will pay the standard shipping costs.

The Mint will ship directly to retail establishments, financial institutions, and the public in an effort to stimulate circulation of the dollar coins in daily transactions.

Easily visible die chips were found on recently released Arizona state quarters. Error coin specialists consider die chips a minor form of die stage; however, they are still collectible but rarely have significant value. The most significant error so far is a curved metal protrusion extending onto the 2008 date on the coin’s reverse. Another die chip has been found to the right of this which obliterated the designer’s initials, at the foot of the saguaro cactus.

During the early 1950s, the Civil War theme became very trendy in America, largely with pre-teens and early teens. Consequently, Cheerios offered this Confederate money album, which could be acquired through the mail for very little and probably some cereal boxtops. I acquired this album in 1968 from its original owner, and it was already about fifteen years old at that time. Today its value is a whopping $10 or so, proveing that not all investments will pay off. But it is a fun album anway. I still have the original shipping envelope, which probably is worth more than the album itself.

Here are examples of coins of the India Republic. I purchased these coins 28 years ago at M.A. Storck Inc. in Portland, ME. At that time I was collecting coins of India. Since then, I have branched out to collecting world, USA coins and paper, as well as rare and unusual medals. I have included photographs of some of the India coins from my collection.

Source: Unusual World Coins by Colin R. Bruce,II.

The Junta Or Delegation of the Cuban Revolutionary Party established in New York City in 1892 decided to issue coins besides bonds and stamps. In 1897 the designs were created by Philip Martiny in conjunction with the Gorham Manufacturing Company. Because of the urgency the words “un peso” were replaced by “souvenir” as patents were being awaited. The type I were struck at the Dunn Air-Brake Company in Philadelphia from dies and polished flans provided by the Gorham Company. A total of 858 pieces were struck and 30 pieces were destroyed as being defective. Over 4,000 of Type II were struck at Providence, Rhode Island and a progressive die break halted production. The balance of 4,856 pieces of Type III were struck the following day, completing the original order of 10,000. In March 1898 the Junta authorized The Gorham Company to mint 1,000 un pesos. In 1902 the balance of the unsold souvenir pesos of Type III were deposited in the National Treasury and remained there for over fifty years. Today the original 858 pieces of Type I in brilliant uncirculated condition are worth about $5,000. The proof are valued about $8,000, whereas the Type II is valued at $1,000 in uncirculated condition.