Week # 539 - Happy Friday!

[Danielle C.]

This weeks First and Second place winners will be picked at random…

 

The question must be answered by Saturday at midnight EST.

 

QUESTION:

 

Why are the nickel and silver dollar the only 1928-S coins not known with the Large S mintmark?

 

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

This week’s winner will win America’s Money, America’Story, A Chronicle of American Numismatic History, Second Edition by Richard Doty, and Foreword by Q. David Bowers.

 

There will also be a runner up prize given to a selected player with the correct answer.

 

REMINDER: The Numisma-Quest ends on Saturday at midnight EST. Entries after that time will not be valid. See the Trivia info post for more details

[L1ncolnF4n]

It is known that coinage of dollars was halted mid-year suggesting that the Large S punches weren't used until the later parts of 1928, also suggesting that nickel production ceased prior to their instituting the new punches.

 

Yeesh! I remember a column I don't know how many years ago about this by David Lange I believe.

[coinsandmedals]

The coining of dollars and nickels ceased early in 1928, which suggests that the Large S puncheon was not employed until later in the year, when the rest of the denom. were coined.

[mhardin2413]

because the large S was the previous year's mintmark, and those two coins were first minted later in the year.

[cpm9ball]

Because they used the small "s".

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Chris

[Amarillo]

YES WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I DO NOT KNOW.

[einstein0505-migration]

The normal ‘S’ mintmark for this period was the small, symmetrical letter puncheon introduced in 1917 and phased out during 1941-42 (these latter dates are transitional with larger mintmarks). During this long period, it had no rivals on the San Francisco Mint coinage, except in 1928. During that year both the usual Small S and the unique Large S were used on the dies for 1928-S cents, dimes, quarters and halves. Nickels and silver dollars of that date are known only with the Small S mintmark. Since the coining of dollars ceased early in 1928, this suggests that the Large S puncheon was not employed until later in the year.

[Kenneth F]

Because the large S wasnt used until later in the year and the production of nickels and dollars stopped earlier in the year??

[hunter's gold]

The samll S mint mark was only used on the nickle and silver dollar that year. Since the silver dollar ended that year it is suggested that the large S puncheon was not employed until later that year

[dadams]

In 1928 the Large S mintmark punch was utilized on coins produced late in the year. By the time the Large S mintmark punch was being used production of the nickel and dollar had already ended.

[Coindude]

Mintmarks were added to each die at the Philadelphia Mint before the dies were sent west to Denver and San Francisco, the Large S MM's were omitted from the Dollar and Nickel at the Philly mint.

[Collector1-migration]

The reason there are no Large S 1928-S Nickels or Large S 1928-S Silver Dollars is because the mint ceased production of both denominations before the Large S mint-marks were implemented.The Large S mint-marks were used later in the year of 1928. And since neither a Large S Nickel nor Large S Silver Dollar have been discovered so far we can safely assume that the Large S mint-mark dies were employed after production of the Nickel and Silver Dollar were halted.

[sc7000]

Both the nickel and dollar were produced early in the year.

 

The fact that 1928-S nickels lack the Large S suggests that they were mostly coined early in the year, a fact backed up the annual Mint Director's reports (which cover fiscal years, July 1 to June 30).-DW Lange

 

1928-S dollars have just one mintmark size/style. This is the 'S' puncheon adopted in mid-1917 and used through 1941 (1942 for halves). Dollar coinage ended in the spring of 1928 when the Pittman Act's bullion supply ran out. The Large S puncheon, unique to this date, was not employed until later in the year

 

 

[rockhobby]

They were minted early in the year before the "Large S" puncheon was shipped to San Francisco.

[Hard Times]

The Large S coins were likely minted in the latter part of 1928. The silver dollar, and probably the nickel were ceased in production that year before the Large S punch was used. The U.S. Mint created the large S puncheon that was used only during the latter half of 1928 on just a very few dies sent to the San Francisco Mint. So the normal S predominates on most 1928 coinage. Alternatively for the nickel, it may have been produced when the large S puncheon was used, but no nickel dies were punched with it. Large S for the other denominations are more rare than the normal S type.

[LISA B]

QUESTION:

 

Why are the nickel and silver dollar the only 1928-S coins not known with the Large S mintmark?

 

Answer: This mintmark punch was used late in the year, after coining of those denominations at San Francisco had ceased.

 

This week’s winner L1ncolnF4n has won America’s Money, America’Story, A Chronicle of American Numismatic History, Second Edition by Richard Doty, and Foreword by Q. David Bowers.

 

Our Runner up Einstein0505 has won a single coin display box.

 

Thank you for playing and please stop by this Friday for the PMG Numisma-Quest question