The period 1965 to 1967 was an interesting time in US numismatic history. The price of silver had risen to the point where it made no sense to make higher denomination coins out of silver. In addition, there was a widely reported coin shortage, despite record production levels.

As the mint scrambled to adjust, a number of emergency measures were taken. Production of 1964-dated coinage continued well into 1965 until the new clad planchets were ready. Then, to make sure that there was enough of the new coinage to go around, the mint decided both to cease production of proof coinage and to do away with mintmarks. The only concession of any kind made to coin collectors were the Special Mint Sets of 1965-67, not true proof coins, but high quality circulation strike coins similar in some ways to the satin finish coins in mint sets today.

In 1968, the mint resumed the use of mintmarks and the production of proof coinage, but with a new twist. Proof coins, like the prior Special Mint Set coins, were now made in San Francisco, and the S mintmark reappeared after a 12 year hiatus. Initially, the San Francisco Mint also manufactured some circulation strike cents and nickels, but their dimes, quarters, and halves were strictly proofs. The mint would eventually also make Susan B. Anthony dollars for circulation, as well as silver-clad Ike dollars and bicentennial coinage for collectors.

During the first year of S-mint proof set production, an unexpected hitch occurred. In a few sets full of S-mint coins, the dimes had no trace of a mintmark! This came about because at that time all coinage dies were prepared with no mintmark, which would be added only upon arrival at the branch mint. On one die, that didn’t happen, and an instant rarity was made.

Walter Breen opined that about six examples of the 1968 no S dime were known. If that is true, then Heritage has sold each of these coins an average of at least three times apiece. Nevertheless, the 1968 no S dime is clearly an extremely rare coin, likely R.6 or low R.7, surpassed in rarity among 20th century dimes by only one coin.

Heritage’s upcoming 2010 April-May Milwaukee, WI CSNS US Coin Auction includes a rather unique proof set: one each of the five collectible missing mintmark proof coins. Along with the 1968 no S dime, the set includes the 1970 no S dime, the 1971 no S nickel, the 1983 no S dime, and the 1990 no S cent. While none of these coins is as rare as the 1968 S-less dime, each is highly desirable, and a key to its respective proof series. All of the coins in the set grade Proof-68 or 69, and show the eye appeal expected of latter-day US Mint products.

Incidentally, the sole 20th century dime that is rarer than the 1968 no S proof dime is also an S-less proof. A mere two examples are known of the 1975 no S dime, and neither Heritage nor the major grading services has ever handled one!

This Chain cent appeared on the April 1869 Levick plate, the first photographic plate of large cents that appeared in the American Journal of Numismatics.

This lovely 1793 Chain cent, like most early coins, has considerable character and individuality. It combines outstanding technical quality with an historic provenance that dates back nearly 150 years, one of the longest ownership records of any Chain cent known today.

This Chain cent appeared on the April 1869 Levick plate, the first photographic plate of large cents that appeared in the American Journal of Numismatics. The Levick plate was also the first systematic attempt at the classification of large cent varieties. Twelve obverse dies and 10 reverse dies were illustrated in an arrangement of 15 different varieties. The photography was by Joseph N.T. Levick, with the descriptions and arrangements by Sylvester S. Crosby. The achievement was remarkable for the time, as only seven additional die marriages have been discovered in the 141 years since that publication.

R.W. Julian wrote in an article on the 1793 cents in the May 1990 issue of Coins magazine: “There is probably more fascination with the 1793 issues of the Philadelphia Mint than any other coinage of this country, yet the average collector knows little of this far-off year.”

The 1793 Chain cents, beginning with the famous Chain AMERI cent, were the first federal coins actually struck at the U.S. Mint early that year. The entire production of 36,103 coins (of all five known varieties), took place in early March, although R.W. Julian, Walter Breen, and others speculated that some may have been minted on February 22, marking President Washington’s birthday. (more…)

Heritage Auction Galleries is proud to present the astonishing Donald R. Frederick Collection of Early US Coinage: Bayside Part Two including 443 Bust Half Dollar varieties at the 2010 April-May Milwaukee, WI CSNS US Coin Auction, April 28-May 1 in Milwaukee.

The Frederick Collection will be featured in a dedicated catalog, and will feature both exceptional pedigrees (and many prior auction flips) and his extensive notes on his varieties.

The late Mr. Frederick was an enthusiastic and long-standing member of the Bust Half Nut Club (BHNC), which was established in the late 1960s, and he took very seriously their dedication to collecting, studying, and sharing information about Bust Halves.

He also shared that group’s fascination with die states. Incidentally, owning 100 different Bust die marriages is required for BHNC membership; Mr. Frederick had no problems on that score! With 443 varieties (including two specimens and the discovery coin of the 1833 O-115), his collection ranks third currently in the BHNC census by completion and overall grade.

In a tradition that we would like to encourage with such variety-based collections, Mr. Frederick’s working copy of the Overton reference will be sold after his coins!

Don Frederick was born in Manhattan, grew up in Bayside, New York, and attended Tufts University in Boston. The fascination with rare coins that started as a young boy lasted his entire life. Even though he was clearly dedicated to Bust halves, he loved all coins, especially the early Federal issues, and this auction also includes more than three hundred of them.

Heritage was honored to sell Bayside Part One, Mr. Frederick’s collection of 120 halves minted 1794-1807, in our 2008 Baltimore ANA Auction; the Bust Halves in Part Two equal the earlier offerings in beauty and rarity.