[carbking]

The government actually tried to save us money a few years ago, with the introduction of the Presidential Dollar series. But the public wouldn't go for it. Maybe better advertising would have helped.

Coins last significantly longer than paper. The coin collectors jumped on the Presidential Dollars, but the general public ignored them. Somewhere in the southeast US, supposedly the government stored the excess, which is reported to be in the billions of dollars. With a mintage of maybe an average of 300 million per coin, from different mints, I can easily believe this figure.

The first few years of production, the coins were available at local banks, but due to the apathy of the public, after the first few years, the coins were only available from the US Mint, and mintage figures dropped dramatically.

The portrait of the Indian on the Buffalo nickel is not that of Chief Pontiac. The paragraph below is copied from one of the numismatic sources:

"The Indian on the Indian Head or Buffalo Nickel (1913-1936) is a composite portrait of Three Indian Chiefs – Iron Tail, the Chief that faced General Custer at the battle of Little Big Horn, Two Moons and John Big Tree. The idea was to create a Native American portrait but not to associate the facial features with any specific tribe. The reverse of the coin shows a bison, often called a “buffalo”, thought to be “Black Diamond” from the Bronx Zoo."

Unfortunately, one of the "highest" areas on the Buffalo nickel is the area of the date, thus the date wore badly. Back in the 1960's, some company came out with a chemical that would cause the worn dates to be readable (briefly). I think the chemical is still available, not sure, as I do not collect Buffalo nickels.

I have posted this story before, but in a different lifetime as a teenager, I was the recipient of a unjust speeding ticket. Fine with court costs was $18.20 (THAT should tell you how long ago!). I gave the clerk a $20. bill, and received a $1. bill, three quarters, and a Buffalo nickel. The Buffalo was a 1918/1917 D in VG/Fine condition. I sold it at the local monthly coin auction for $200. This was twice what I had paid for the car!

I always found the history of U.S. coinage, like automotive history very enjoyable. Example: how many of you know the United States does not, and never has, minted a penny? Don't believe me? Look it up.

Jon.

[Jonsie]

Originally Posted by carbking

The government actually tried to save us money a few years ago, with the introduction of the Presidential Dollar series. But the public wouldn't go for it. Maybe better advertising would have helped.

Coins last significantly longer than paper. The coin collectors jumped on the Presidential Dollars, but the general public ignored them. Somewhere in the southeast US, supposedly the government stored the excess, which is reported to be in the billions of dollars. With a mintage of maybe an average of 300 million per coin, from different mints, I can easily believe this figure.

The first few years of production, the coins were available at local banks, but due to the apathy of the public, after the first few years, the coins were only available from the US Mint, and mintage figures dropped dramatically.

The portrait of the Indian on the Buffalo nickel is not that of Chief Pontiac. The paragraph below is copied from one of the numismatic sources:

"The Indian on the Indian Head or Buffalo Nickel (1913-1936) is a composite portrait of Three Indian Chiefs – Iron Tail, the Chief that faced General Custer at the battle of Little Big Horn, Two Moons and John Big Tree. The idea was to create a Native American portrait but not to associate the facial features with any specific tribe. The reverse of the coin shows a bison, often called a “buffalo”, thought to be “Black Diamond” from the Bronx Zoo."

Unfortunately, one of the "highest" areas on the Buffalo nickel is the area of the date, thus the date wore badly. Back in the 1960's, some company came out with a chemical that would cause the worn dates to be readable (briefly). I think the chemical is still available, not sure, as I do not collect Buffalo nickels.

I have posted this story before, but in a different lifetime as a teenager, I was the recipient of a unjust speeding ticket. Fine with court costs was $18.20 (THAT should tell you how long ago!). I gave the clerk a $20. bill, and received a $1. bill, three quarters, and a Buffalo nickel. The Buffalo was a 1918/1917 D in VG/Fine condition. I sold it at the local monthly coin auction for $200. This was twice what I had paid for the car!

I always found the history of U.S. coinage, like automotive history very enjoyable. Example: how many of you know the United States does not, and never has, minted a penny? Don't believe me? Look it up.

Jon.

Chemical was called "Coin Date", an acid that etched into the metal around the date. When rinsed off, the date faintly became readable. Haven't seen that stuff around for years now

[60sstuff]

A few Dollars

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot;

The 1963 series were fading from existance at the time. Henry Fowler was the S-O-T-T on most that changed hands, but I remember a classmate telling me to be on the lookout for bills with the Joseph Barr signature.

I just looked him up (Joseph Barr) on Wikipedia and found out why:

59th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office
December 21, 1968 – January 20, 1969

The 1963 Series Federal Reserve Notes were printed until 1969, at which time the 1969 Series came out. The latter were still being printed new when I took over the paper route. As an afterthought just now, maybe they assigned the dates according to when the presidential administrations changed over. I used to think it was every six years up until 1981, as I kind of remember there was a 1975 Series also. But Jimmy Carter 77-81 upsets that theory.

Anyhow, Joseph Barr was on the 1963 Series Federal Reserve Notes, for only one month of printing. No wonder they were hard to find. That guy that told me about the rare signature was a very bright student but I never questioned how he knew about that. Uncanny.
I do remember finding one or two dollar bills with the Joseph Barr sig on them. With the rate the old paper money gets destroyed by the treasury, I bet those are pretty rare now.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

...
Anyhow, Joseph Barr was on the 1963 Series Federal Reserve Notes, for only one month of printing. No wonder they were hard to find. That guy that told me about the rare signature was a very bright student but I never questioned how he knew about that. Uncanny.
I do remember finding one or two dollar bills with the Joseph Barr sig on them. With the rate the old paper money gets destroyed by the treasury, I bet those are pretty rare now.

very cool!

I have only recently started collecting bills, but I don't collect many of them, because in my mind's eye they are not a "safe" of an investment than something that is made of silver ect...

Anyway, I do show my little bill collection to people every now and then, and it seems like no one ever realized the signatures changed.

[Lightfoot]

I had a newspaper route in 1974-75 (South Bend Tribune). I don't think I ever came across a buffalo nickel in my collection money over the whole time I had the route. Even though the last buffalos were minted 'only' 37 years earlier. Remarkable when you think how common it is to see a 1981 or older nickel in this day and age. I did, however, every so often get Jeffersons from the 1940s-50s. That's a testiment to how the buffalos had become collectable from very early on.

I also started paying attention to the nuances of dollar bills. The 1963 series were uncommon and fading from existance. Henry Fowler was the S-O-T-T on most that changed hands, but I remember a classmate telling me to be on the lookout for bills with the Joseph Barr signature.
Never did see a silver certificate.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

I don't think I ever came across a buffalo nickel in my collection money over the whole time I had the route. Even though the last buffalos were minted 'only' 37 years earlier. Remarkable when you think how common it is to see a 1981 or older nickel in this day and age. I did, however, every so often get Jeffersons from the 1940s-50s. That's a testiment to how the buffalos had become collectable from very early on.

I think it has to do with their durability as well. The way Buffalo nickels were designed they tended to wear out quickly, you often see them with the dates completely worn off so you can't even tell what year they were minted. On the other hand, to this day it's not uncommon to find Jefferson nickels from the 40s and 50s in change.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by carbking

The government actually tried to save us money a few years ago, with the introduction of the Presidential Dollar series. But the public wouldn't go for it. Maybe better advertising would have helped.

Coins last significantly longer than paper. The coin collectors jumped on the Presidential Dollars, but the general public ignored them.
Jon.

But they are just such a pain in the pa-tooty to carry around. How'd you like to go cash your paycheck (I know that no one does that anymore) and they give you a bunch of 10 to 20 dollar coins?