thedeadpoint Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Heritage says its the Brasher Doubloon... They're talking about ultra-rare coins. Of course, the first coin a young child earns is just as important, but we're talking numismatic rarity. I don't know about that. From what I know of the coin, Ephraim Brasher was granted the right to mint coins for circulation in 1787. He was also a very well known metalsmith back then. That's cool and all, and understandably these coins are more important than 1870-s $3 or 1870-S half dime, but Heritage said it's more important than the 1933 gold double eagles. I dunno. Knowing the history and pedigrees of those coins, I could make an argument for them. Well, what is the most important coin in American numismatics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willieboyd2 Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 The basis of the American dollar was the Spanish silver dollar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin43160 Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numismatic nut Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Well I'd say the lincoln cent. It gets many collecters started and is one of the most actively collected coins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Historically speaking, I would put any of the issues of 1792 in there, from the silver center cent and Birch cent to the half disme and disme. Those coins are of fantastic historical significance, especially considering the legend surrounding the source of the silver for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 What? I considered the Lincoln cent to be the most important coin as in economic wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted August 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Well I'd say the lincoln cent. It gets many collecters started and is one of the most actively collected coins. Again, I mean a single super rare issue, not one gigantic series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just carl Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 Well I'd say the lincoln cent. It gets many collecters started and is one of the most actively collected coins. Regardless of what anyone says, the Lincoln Cent is for sure the Numismatic coin of the USA. Just about every kid has collected that coin at one time or another. Also, this coin has been made into jewlery, flattened to make novelties, placed on RR tracks, melted for it's contents, had books written about it, thrown into wishing wells, placed in concrete for good luck, made into toilet seats, bookends, pen holders and on and on and on. Probably no other coin on Earth has had so much interest. I once read on a coin forum that there were many songs using that term also. Remember PENNIES FROM HEAVEN? Just one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just carl Posted August 25, 2008 Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 Again, I mean a single super rare issue, not one gigantic series. OK then. The 1909 Lincoln Cent. Started the crase of all coin collecting probably. Also, started about 300,000,000 people saying PENNIES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 The Fugio cent, the first coins issued by the authority of the United States, The 1792 half disme would be important as well as the 1794 dollar. You could also make a strong case for the 1965 clad coinage. By moving away from precious metals, which any despot can acquire, the free economies of the world soon were able to dominate the totalitarian systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 You could also make a strong case for the 1965 clad coinage. By moving away from precious metals, which any despot can acquire, the free economies of the world soon were able to dominate the totalitarian systems. Well that's an interesting take on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted August 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Okay, let's forget the original question . Let's go all out and ask, what is the most important coin or coin series or design or whatever in American numismatics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numismatic nut Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I think it's the lincoln cent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Okay, let's forget the original question . Let's go all out and ask, what is the most important coin or coin series or design or whatever in American numismatics? I think I already told you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I think it's the lincoln cent. Why is it important? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I have always favored Joseph Wright's 1792 pattern for the quarter. It has always struck me as the most beautiful of the early attempts to create a distinctive US coinage. Link to the pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostDutchman Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I have recently become fond of the 1776 continental dollars... the first coin struck by the us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I have recently become fond of the 1776 continental dollars... the first coin struck by the us Patterns, and they weren't dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Fine, to the new question, the Saint-Gaudens double eagle, because it started a revolution of design in the early 20th century and it's really pretty and I like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numismatic nut Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Why is it important? Because it got most collectors started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted August 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Which coin STRUCK IN THE COLONIES was the first to circulate widely amongst the colonies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 The Pine Tree Schilling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 I'll choose the Spanish/colonial 2 reales. It was responsible (to some extent) for the US adopting a quasi-decimal coinage system, with a 25c instead of a 20c. Virtually all countries which use a 25c piece today (that is roughly simular in size and value to the US quarter), like Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Panama got their origin from the U.S. quarter. (Others got it as a result of a binary system, like Venezuela with it's 1, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 units, or simply out of randomness) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vfox Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Back on the original question...although I am fond of the Brasher coinage I do not consider it the most important...just the first gold coins minted. I am however very fond of the design, and Brasher in general as both a coiner and a metalsmith. If I wanted to consider anything the most important...well I could not qualify anything as such. I think it's more of a general breakdown of importance by type, time period, rarity, materials related to economic status, and collect-ability. Most people hear about collecting coins from news articles about old coins or having something passed down to them by their grandparents. Major magazines, both coin related and not have had articles on both the 1804 dollars, the 1913 liberty nickels, the 1933 double eagles and so on. I honestly think the 1804 dollars have the most written about them both in the realm of numismatics and American history. Importance is relative however, so who knows what was, is, and will be considered as such by others. The first coin struck in the colonies AND widely used in my opinion is the Machin Mills half pennies minted as counterfeits to circulate. They made it all over the country and all over Europe. However, ones minted for general circulation as a legitimate coin would probably have been the Pine Tree Shillings as Jlueke stated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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