SIDELIGHTS OF EARLY AMERICAN COINAGE

In the mid-1850s when coin collecting first became a national pastime in this country, budding numismatists were avidly searching for rare and interesting coins. One of the coins being sought was the 1804 half dollar. After all, the Mint report for that year showed that more than 150,000 pieces had been struck, but none were to be found anywhere. Or so it seemed.

The strong demand for this coin soon produced results. A few 1804 half dollars magically appeared and were sold to unsuspecting collectors at strong prices. These coins were not, as might now be suspected, counterfeits but actually coins struck in the early 1800s. It was just that the newly-appeared coins had visited a skilled engraver before being sold into the numismatic market.

And just what were these coins? There really had been a heavy coinage of half dollars in 1804, but it is now known that dies of 1803 had been used during the entire year. At least two obverse dies had been prepared for 1804, however, and were on hand at the end of 1804, never having been used for striking coins. Although the early Mint was not especially careful about the dates that appeared on coins, in early January 1805 it was decided that the 1804 half dollar obverses could not be used.

Instead, the engraving department carefully punched