USA Coin Album: The Fading Wish List - Part 2

All or most are items that remain within reach, but I don’t know whether I’ll ever get around to buying them.

Continuing this list the next subject coin is the 1918 Philadelphia Mint dime. I have a nice Mint State example of the 1916(P) Mercury dime, but this charming design required another two years of tinkering by the Mint’s Engraving Department to bring out its details fully. Early in 1917 the feathers of Liberty’s wing, which sort of blended together on Adolph Weinman’s original models, were provided with slender troughs between them for greater definition. There are thus two major varieties for 1917 dimes of all three mints. Though this is well described and illustrated in my book The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes, the hobby has taken little notice of it.

Further refinement of the obverse is found in the obverse master die for 1918 dimes, on which a fine, raised outline is given to each feather. Thus, a well struck 1918 dime from fresh dies will show the obverse design at its pinnacle of perfection. Since it was the Philadelphia Mint that most consistently produced well struck coins at that time, a 1918(P) dime presents the best opportunity for seeing this type in all its glory. Such pieces are vastly sharper than the proofs of 1936-42, as the master hub had become rather worn by that time. The 1918(P) issue is not especially rare, but finding one that is well struck from fresh dies can be very challenging.

The next item on my wish list is almost embarrassing to report, as it is so very common that there’s absolutely no reason for not already owning an example. This is the 1917(P) quarter dollar, Type 1, in Mint State with fully struck details. This coin was widely hoarded in its own time by collectors and the general public who interpreted the mid-year design change as a sign that the first edition of the year would be rare. There exists a large population of nice, Mint State 1917 Philadelphia Mint Type 1 quarters, most of them designated as Full Head, yet their very commonness has perhaps prevented me from seriously shopping for one. I’ve never seen a poorly struck example, and the very sharpest ones have the detail of a proof coin, if such had been struck. (A number of pieces are floating around that have been claimed as proofs over the past 40 years, but none of these has been certified as a proof by a major grading service, and I have not personally seen one that I would call a proof). In the meantime, I have a very attractive “slider” certified as AU-58 FH. Still, I want a Mint State coin that looks as sharp as my almost-made-it specimen.

Another bucket list coin for me is the 1795 Flowing Hair half dollar. I used to have a nice example grading VG-8 or so (it was not certified), but this was sacrificed along with the rest of my first USA type set in the mid-1990s. If I were to get one now I would not settle for less than a problem-free piece grading VF-20 or a little higher, and it would have to be completely original. That is to say it would have to show no signs of having been cleaned, whether recently or, as is so often seen, long ago. What passes for “original” to many sellers these days is actually a coin that was cleaned decades ago and has now toned over to the degree that most would find it pleasing enough. I’m old school, and “original” means never cleaned.

A favorite of mine among half dollars is the 1853 issue with arrowheads at the date and a glory of rays around the eagle. These pieces were produced in the millions and remain fairly common today, but their prices are kept high by the great demand for them as one-year-only type coins. I don’t believe I’d hold out for a Mint State example, but a nice AU-55 or -58 with original surfaces and natural color would fit the bill quite nicely. These are actually pretty hard to find, though attractive Very Fine and Extremely Fine specimens are seen with some regularity. My old type set included one I graded XF-45 that looked fairly nice, but I would want a better one now. This is a case where working with one or two dealers who share my own tastes would be essential to secure such a coin. Truly eye-appealing type coins rarely make it into a dealer’s case, as a home for them is always waiting via want lists.

You may notice that a recurring them in all of my coin shopping is originality. Experienced collectors typically insist that a coin have a very natural appearance, and for old coins this usually means natural toning over uncleaned surfaces. I’ll have more to say about this topic as I continue my long-deferred wish list in next month’s installment.

David W. Lange's column, “USA Coin Album,” appears monthly in The Numismatist, the official publication of the American Numismatic Association.