Government payments in silver and gold had been suspended during the economic chaos caused by the Civil War-coins containing precious metal were hoarded except on the Pacific Coast, and did not pass at face value in trade. The first was a shortage of small change in the far West, where base-metal coins did not circulate. Several factors converged to make possible a twenty-cent piece in the 1870s. No twenty-cent piece was issued prior to the 1870s, but Americans were familiar with the denomination as the two reales piece struck in Spain, known as a 'pistareen' in the United States, passed for twenty cents (its Spanish colonial equivalent passed for a quarter). The bill passed the Senate twice, in 18, but did not pass the House of Representatives. It was opposed by mint director Robert Patterson, though his opposition was more to the two-cent piece, which Tracy proposed be struck in billon, low-grade silver that would be difficult to recover when melting the coins. The 1806 bill, introduced by Connecticut Senator Uriah Tracy, sought both a two-cent piece and a 'double dime'.

Inception and authorization įor further information on the question of whether silver should be a legal tender in the US in the 19th century, see Cross of Gold speech § Background.Ī twenty-cent piece had been proposed as early as 1791, and again in 1806, but had been rejected. coinage history that closed almost before it began'. Numismatist Mark Benvenuto called the twenty-cent piece 'a chapter of U.S.

At least a third of the total mintage was later melted by the government. After the first year, in which over a million were minted, there was little demand, and the denomination was abolished in 1878. Adding to the bewilderment, the obverse, or 'heads', sides of both coins were almost identical. Linderman eventually decided on an obverse and reverse similar to that of other silver coins.Īlthough the coins have a smooth edge, rather than reeded as with other silver coins, the new piece was close to the size of, and immediately confused with, the quarter. The bill passed Congress, and Mint Director Henry Linderman ordered pattern coins struck. In 1874, the newly elected Jones began pressing for a twenty-cent piece, which he stated would alleviate the shortage of small change in the Far West. Jones, it proved a failure due to confusion with the quarter, to which it was close in both size and value. The American twenty-cent piece is a coin struck from 1875 to 1878, but only for collectors in the final two years. Philadelphia Mint specimens lack mint mark.ġ836 (re-engraved by William Barber, 1875)

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