Owner Comments:
The Twenty Cent piece was a 19th century mistake. In an effort to get the Federal Government to buy more silver, western mining interests sponsored the legislation for the “double dime” in the guise of consumer protection. The argument was that a person who purchased an item for a dime could not always get the right change when they paid for it with quarter because there were few cents and nickels circulating in the western states. A Twenty Cent piece or “double dime” would relieve this problem. Of course it would have made more sense to expand cent and nickel production to the western mints, but logic had nothing to do with the argument; special interest politics were the overriding factor.
The double dime started causing trouble from the moment it appeared in circulation. Despite the fact that the piece had a smooth, not a reeded edge, and a different eagle on the reverse, it was confused with the quarter. Many people lost money because of this, and the coin quickly become unpopular. Clearly either the Twenty Cent piece or quarter had to go, and the double dime made a quick exit after only two years of business strike production. Proof coins would be made in 1877 and ’78, but after that the Twenty Cent piece was history. The coin shown above is a bright white Choice Mint State example.
It an example of the 1875-S Twenty Cent piece, which is by far the most common date and mint mark combination.
Although the piece has been dipped, which displeases some purist collectors, it is an example of "dipping do right." I have owned this coin for over 20 years, and it has not toned at all. As such it has very much the appearance the coin had when it was freshly struck back in 1875.