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Category:  Thematic & Topical Coins
Owner:  coin928
Last Modified:  10/10/2023
Set Description
Duplicates abound, so some coins must go! Please send an email to "coin928 (at) live.com" if you are interested in any of these coins.

Set Goals
Sell them all for a fair price to a fellow collector who will appreciate them as much as I have.

The Slot Name column indicates whether or not the coin is eligible for inclusion in the NGC Registry.

Slot Name
Origin/Country
Item Description
Full Grade
Owner Comments
Pics
View Coin   AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 3P 1943D KM-37 PCGS MS 65 Australia - 1943D 3 Pence - KM #37 - Mintage: 16,000,000

Minted by the Denver Mint for circulation in Australia during World War II.

Date acquired: 10/2/2011 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev 1/17/2016
View Coin Registry CUBA 1C 1915 KM-9.1 NGC MS 64 Cuba - 1915(P) 1 Centavo - KM #9.1 - Mintage: 9,396,000

These copper-nickel coins were minted by the US Mint in Philadelphia.

Date acquired: 8/9/2014 (raw coin)
Date graded: 12/29/2014 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/29/2014
View Coin   CUBA 1C 1915 KM-9.1 PCGS MS 62 Cuba - 1915 1 Centavo - KM #9.1 - Mintage: 1 9,396,000

These coins were minted by the US Mint in Philadelphia.

Date acquired: 5/16/2010 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 5/3/2016
View Coin   CUBA 1C 1943 KM-9.02a PCGS MS 63 Cuba - 1943 - 1 Centavo - KM #9.02a - Mintage: 20,000,000

These One Centavo coins were minted in brass recovered from spend artillery shell casings by the US Mint in Philadelphia during World War II. Up until then, they were minted in copper -nickel. Despite the picture quality, this coin exhibits a sharp strike with exceptional luster.

Date acquired: 10/20/2011 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 12/2/2015
View Coin Registry CUBA 1C 1943 KM-9.02a NGC UNC Details Cuba - 1943 - 1 Centavo - KM #9.02a - Mintage: 20,000,000

These One Centavo coins were minted in brass by the US Mint in Philadelphia during World War II. Up until then, they were minted in copper -nickel. Despite the picture quality, this coin exhibits a sharp strike with exceptional luster.

Date acquired: 8/9/2014 (raw coin)
Date graded: 1/12/2015 (self submitted)

Rev. 1/12/2015
View Coin Registry CUBA 1C 1943 KM-9.02a NGC MS 63 Cuba - 1943 - 1 Centavo - KM #9.02a - Mintage: 20,000,000

These One Centavo coins were minted in brass by the US Mint in Philadelphia during World War II. Up until then, they were minted in copper -nickel. This coin exhibits a sharp strike with excellent luster.

Date acquired: 2/5/2016 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 3/1/2016
View Coin Registry CURACAO 2.5C 1948 KM-42 NGC MS 66 RD Curaçao - 1948(u) 2 1/2 Cents (KM #42) - Mintage: 1,000,000

Obverse: Rampant Lion and Field from the shield of the coat of arms
Obverse Legend: MUNT VAN CURAÇAO (Mint of Curaçao), date below
Reverse: Denomination within a wreath of orange tree branches.
Edge: Reeded

This coin contains two privy marks which identify the mint and the mint master.

The fish to the left of the date represents the mint master at the time the coin was minted. J.W.A. van Hengel served as the mint master from 1945 through 1969. Van Hengel started as acting mint master during World War II from 1942 until 1944. After the war he became the true mint master of the Royal Dutch Mint, and used a fish as his privy mark.

The caduceus to the right of the date has been the mint mark of the dutch Royal Mint since 1816 and is present on most coins minted by the Utrecht mint. This mark is called "staff of Mercury" in dutch, referring to the God Mercury. He is often depicted with a staff and symbolizes trade and profit, hence it's relation with the mint. The wings on top of the staff, as well as the two snakes, refer to Mercury's Greek predecessor Hermes who is often seen with two wings on a helmet or on his sandals.

The primary element on the obverse is the central elements of the shield from the Dutch coat of arms. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt

Date acquired: 3/14/2016 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin Registry CURACAO 5C 1943 KM-40 NGC MS 65 Curaçao/Suriname - KM #40 - 1943 (P) 5 Cents - Total Mintage: 8,595,000
Curaçao: 500,000 minted in 1943
Curaçao: 1,500,000 minted in 1944 (dated 1943)
Suriname: 6,595,000 minted in 1944 (dated 1943)

The coin does not bear either a palm tree privy mark or a mint mark, but it was struck expressly for use in Curaçao and Suriname by the Philadelphia mint during World War II while The Netherlands was occupied by Germany. The homeland type of KM#153 was last issued in the Netherlands in 1940.

Date acquired: 8/31/2013 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/9/2016
View Coin Registry CURACAO 5C 1948 KM-47 NGC MS 66 Curaçao - 1948(u) 5 Cents (KM #47) - Total Mintage: 1,000,000

Obverse: Orange branch within circle "MUNT VAN CURAÇAO" (Mint of Curaçao)
Reverse: Date divided by denomination within shells and beads.

This coin was minted by the Utrecht mint although it contains no privy marks to indicate it.

As of this revision, this particular specimen is one of the finest known by NGC. PCGS and NGC each have recorded one finer at MS67.

Date acquired: 1/30/2016 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin Registry CURACAO 2.5G 1944D KM-46 NGC MS 64 Curacao 2-1/2 Gulden (KM# 46) 1944D (Palm Tree privy mark) - Mintage: 200,000
(60,000 coins melted down after minting)

Lettered Edge: "GOD * ZIJ * MET * ONS *"

This coin was minted in Denver for circulation in the Dutch Colony of Curacao during World War II. It is interesting to note that the O in CURACAO is actually tilted.

This is a really nice, bright white coin. A couple of contact marks principally on the check and some scuffing in the hair is all that keeps this coin from getting a higher grade.

Date acquired: 5/8/2013 (already graded by NGC)

Rev. 5/9/2013
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 5C 1918 KM-60.2 NGC UNC Details Ecuador - 1918 -5 Centavos - KM-60.2 - Mintage: 7,980,000

These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint. These coins were only minted in 1917 and 1918, with the 1918 issue outnumbering the 1917 issue by nearly a factor of 7. Despite the significantly higher mintage, these coins circulated heavily and are nearly as difficult to acquire in mint state as the 1917. Although this coin IS uncirculated, NGC interpreted some die polishing lines on the reverse as hairlines and assigned it a details grade. I will be talking to them about this at a future numismatic event.

Update: I took this coin to the ANA show in 2016 and was assured that what I interpreted as die polishing lines are actually hairlines. So it goes...

Date acquired: 6/20/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/19/2018
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 5C 1919 3 BERRIES KM-63 NGC MS 63 Ecuador - 1919 -5 Centavos - KM-63 - Mintage: 12,000,000 (Providence Mint)

History
------------
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso.

Varieties
-------------
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Krause & Mishler identifiy three main varieties, but I have come to realize that there are many more significant die varieties than that. The ones that everyone knows are all linked to the configuration of berries directly to the left of the "C" in Centavos on the reverse. They are as follows:

- 3 berries to left of "C" on reverse. Most common variety.
- 4 berries tightly grouped to left of "C" on reverse. (aka 4 Berries tight) Sub-varieties exist.
- 4 berries loosely grouped to left of "C" on reverse. (aka 4 Berries loose) This variety is extremely rare.

In addition to these, I have noticed that there are two sub-varieties of the grouping of the 4 berries tight variety. They exist in both a square and diamond configuration. The square pattern being much more common than the diamond pattern. Varieties also exist in the style and positioning of the letters in the word CENTAVOS.

All of the focus has been on the varieties exhibited on the reverse, but there are very noticeable varieties on the obverse as well. The three main elements on the obverse that are of interest are:

- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.

Combine all of the obverse and reverse varieties, and one could define a collection similar to all of the varieties known for the 1878 8TF Morgan Dollar!

Based on the large number of die varieties and style of the design, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably no master hub used and that each die was very likely hand cut.

NGC has certified 4 of the 3 Berry variety coins as "Specimen", but I have never seen one of these, so I do not know what distinguishes these specimen coins from the normal production strike coins.

This Coin
--------------
This particular coin is a very beautiful and near proof like example of the most common 3 Berry variety.

Obverse characteristics are:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall design: ............Refined
Condor Tail Feathers: 3, even
Sun Size: ......................Large and centered
Mizzenmast Backstay: Yes

Date acquired: 12/30/2007 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/9/2016
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 5C 1919 3 BERRIES KM-63 NGC UNC Details Ecuador - 1919 -5 Centavos - KM #63 - Mintage: 12,000,000 (Providence Mint)

History
------------
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso.

Varieties
-------------
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Krause & Mishler identifiy three main varieties, but I have come to realize that there are many more significant die varieties than that. The ones that everyone knows are all linked to the configuration of berries directly to the left of the "C" in Centavos on the reverse. They are as follows:

- 3 berries to left of "C" on reverse. Most common variety.
- 4 berries tightly grouped to left of "C" on reverse. (aka 4 Berries tight) Sub-varieties exist.
- 4 berries loosely grouped to left of "C" on reverse. (aka 4 Berries loose) This variety is extremely rare.

In addition to these, I have noticed that there are two sub-varieties of the grouping of the 4 berries tight variety. They exist in both a square and diamond configuration. The square pattern being much more common than the diamond pattern. Varieties also exist in the style and positioning of the letters in the word CENTAVOS.

All of the focus has been on the varieties exhibited on the reverse, but there are very noticeable varieties on the obverse as well. The three main elements on the obverse that are of interest are:

- The overall style of the design (Refined or Crude)
- The number and style of tail feathers on the condor perched atop the coat of arms.
- The size and position of the sun just below the condor.
- The presence or absence of the backstay on the mizzenmast of the ship.

Combine all of the obverse and reverse varieties, and one could define a collection similar to all of the varieties known for the 1878 8TF Morgan Dollar!

Based on the large number of die varieties and style of the design, I have come to the conclusion that there was probably no master hub used and that each die was very likely hand cut.

NGC has certified 4 of the 3 Berry variety coins as "Specimen", but I have never seen one of these, so I do not know what distinguishes these specimen coins from the normal production strike coins.

This Coin
--------------
This particular coin 3 berry coin has a very noticible die clash on reverse in CEN of CENTAVOS.

Obverse characteristics are:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall design: ............Refined
Condor Tail Feathers: 4, even
Sun Size: ......................Very large, centered
Mizzenmast Backstay: Maybe, The base of the mizzenmast is thicker than normal which implies there may be a backstay but there is no separation from mizzenmast.


Date acquired: 11/2/2009 (raw coin)
Date graded: 3/3/2016 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/9/2016
View Coin   ECUADOR 5C 1942 (P) KM-75a PCGS MS 65 Ecuador - 1942(P) 10 Centavos - (KM #75a, EC #138) - Mintage: 2,000,000
Brass (80% copper, 20% zinc)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. Half of the mintage of this coin was listed in the U.S. Mint report of 1943, however all are dated 1942.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 5 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This is a beautiful coin with great eye appeal. If Brass coins could receive a "Red" designation, this one would have it. As of this revision, this coin is tied with one other from NGC for the finest graded example of this date and denomination.

Date acquired: 9/12/2015 (Already graded by PCGS)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 9/27/2017
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 10C 1919 KM-64 NGC MS 64 Ecuador - 1919 -10 Centavos - KM-64 - Mintage: 2,000,000

History
------------
These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso.

Varieties
-------------
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Unlike the companion 5 Centavos, Krause & Mishler identify no varieties, but proofs do exist. I have not identified any varieties on this coin either, probably due to the much lower mintage.

Based on the style of the design, there was probably no master hub used and each die was very likely hand cut.

This Coin
--------------
This particular coin is a very beautiful and well preserved example of this one year type.

Date acquired: 8/13/2007 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 11/4/2015
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 10C 1919 KM-64 NGC MS 65 Ecuador - 1919 (Providence Mint) - 10 Centavos - (KM #64, EC #160) - Mintage: 2,000,000

History
These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso. It is interesting to note that the engravers at the Providence mint did the best job depicting the steamship Guayas, the Guayas River and the snow capped Chimborazo volcano at the center of the coat of arms. They are probably the only engravers to correctly depict a Caduceus as the main mast of the ship.

Varieties
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Unlike the companion 5 Centavos, Krause & Mishler identify no varieties, but proofs do exist. I have not identified any varieties on this coin either, probably due to the much lower mintage.

Based on the style of the design, there was probably no master hub used and each die was very likely hand cut.

This Coin
This particular coin is a very beautiful and excellently preserved example of this one year type.

Date acquired: 1/11/2008 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 9/20/2017
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 10C 1919 KM-64 NGC MS 65 Ecuador - 1919 -10 Centavos - KM-64 - Mintage: 2,000,000

History
------------
These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Providence Mint, a division of Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence Rhode Island. Known primarily for producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware, they also produced silver and base metal coins for several foreign countries including Ecuador, Serbia, and Cuba. The most notable of these are the several varieties of 1897 Cuban "Souvenir Pesos", and the 1898 Cuban Peso.

Varieties
-------------
I became interested in this "one year type" in 2004, and I have acquired quite a few of these coins over the years since. Unlike the companion 5 Centavos, Krause & Mishler identify no varieties, but proofs do exist. I have not identified any varieties on this coin either, probably due to the much lower mintage.

Based on the style of the design, there was probably no master hub used and each die was very likely hand cut.

This Coin
--------------
This particular coin is a very beautiful and excellently preserved example of this one year type.

Date acquired: 3/18/2008 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 11/4/2015
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 10C 1928 KM-70 NGC AU 58 Ecuador - 10 Centavos - (KM #70, EC #162) - Mintage: 16,000,000

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

Ecuadorian President Isidro Ayora introduced a new monetary system in 1927 based on a reduced size, weight, and fineness sucre. In 1928, the country had the U.S. mint produce seven different denominations ranging from one centavo to two sucres. A gold Condor, (equivalent to 25 sucres) was also minted by the Birmingham mint making a total of eight different denominations minted for that year. The new sucre was nicknamed the Ayora after the President. Likewise, the new silver 50 centavos coin became known as the Lauritas after his wife Laura.

This design first appeared on the smaller copper nickel Five Centavos coin minted by the Birmingham mint in 1924 and is identical in design to the 1928 5 Centavos. This issue is one of those confusing coins where a case can be made for either side to be identified as the obverse. Krause & Mishler (KM), which is the source of the NGC World price guide, designate the date side of the coin as the obverse. I suspect though that if I send one of these to NGC for grading, they will mount the side with the bust of Rockafuerte on the label side of the holder. I will describe the coin here in those terms based on my expected outcome of grading.

Obverse
The right facing portrait of Ecuador's second President, Vicente Rocafuerte surrounded by laurel branches over the denomination 5 CENTAVOS. It is interesting to note that the 1924 ten centavos bore the left facing bust of Simón Bolívar, so it is a bit surprising that this coin was patterned after the 1924 five centavos instead of the 1924 ten centavos that preceded it.

Reverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. The date appears below the coat of arms. Ecuador dictated the various elements of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going vessel sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


This coin
These coins circulated well and this one garnered the highest grade it could given the evidence of light circulation which is particularly obvious on the drapery at the lower left side of the shield on the reverse.

Date acquired: 12/4/2020 (raw coin)
Date graded: 7/8/2021 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 8/15/2021
View Coin   Ecuador 10C 1942 (P) KM-76a PCGS MS 65 Ecuador - 1942(P) 10 Centavos - (KM #76a, ES #164) - Mintage:5,000,000
Brass (80% copper, 20% zinc)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. Half of the mintage of this coin was listed in the U.S. Mint report of 1943, however all are dated 1942.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 10 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This is a beautiful coin with great eye appeal. If Brass coins could receive a "Red" designation, this one would have it.

Date Acquired: 3/12/2009 (Already graded by PCGS)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 10/20/2018
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 2D 1916 TF PHILADELPHIA KM-51.4 NGC AU 58 Ecuador - 1916 TF Philadelphia -Dos Decimos (KM #51.4) - Mintage: 1,000,000

Date acquired:4/18/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 3/3/2016 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 3/16/2016
View Coin   Ecuador 20C 1942 (P) KM-77.1a PCGS MS 64 Ecuador - 1942(P) 20 Centavos - KM #77.1a - Mintage: 5,000,000

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings.

If brass coins could receive a "Red" designation, this one would have it. It is a very flashy coin with a lot of eye appeal!

Date Acquired: 3/22/2009 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 12/2/2015
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 20C 1944D KM-77.1a NGC MS 63 Ecuador - 1944D -20 Centavos - (KM-77.1a, EC #191) - Mintage: 15,000,000
Brass (80% copper, 20% zinc)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Denver mint during World War II probably using brass recovered from spent artillery shell casings. The Denver mint only produced coins for Ecuador in 1944 in denominations of 5 and 20 Centavos. These are the only coins produced for Ecuador that carry a traditional single letter mint mark with the "D" appearing on the reverse at the top of the coin. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 20 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath. The Denver mint mark is centered at the top.

This coin
This coin is a two year type with a very substantial mintage, but high grade, untarnished, uncirculated specimens are difficult to obtain.

Date acquired: 12/13/2015 (raw coin)
Date graded: 3/3/2016 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 9/27/2017
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 20C 1944D KM-77.1a NGC MS 62 Ecuador - 1944D -20 Centavos - KM-77.1a - Mintage: 15,000,000

These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Denver mint during World War II using brass recovered from spent artillery shell casings. The Denver mint only produced coins for Ecuador in 1944 in denominations of 5 and 20 Centavos. These are the only coins produced for Ecuador that carry a traditional single letter mint mark with the "D" appearing on the reverse at the top of the coin. This coin is a one year type with a substantial mintage, but high grade uncirculated specimens are difficult to obtain.

Date acquired: 6/23/2015 (raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 3/6/2016
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 20C 1946 KM-77.1b NGC UNC Details Ecuador - 1946 -20 Centavos (KM #77.1b, EC# 192) - Mintage: 30,000,000
Copper-Nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

1946 was the last year the Philadelphia mint produced coinage for Ecuador. Four denominations (5, 10, and 20 Centavos, and Un Sucre) were coined with a total combined mintage of 128,000,000 coins with a total face value of 29,500,000 Sucres.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 20 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This coin was a huge disappointment. It is uncirculated, but unfortunately has scratches on the reverse that were just too substantial to allow NGC to assign it a numeric grade. It is a very common coin, but it also appears to have been popular with the people of Ecuador when it was released. Lightly circulated examples are very common, but high grade uncirculated coins are more elusive. NGC has only graded four, with one at MS67.

Date acquired:11/26/2016 (raw coin)
Date graded: 3/3/2016 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 9/28/2017
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 20C 1946 KM-77.1b NGC MS 64 Ecuador - 1946 -20 Centavos (KM #77.1b, EC# 192) - Mintage: 30,000,000
Copper-Nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

1946 was the last year the Philadelphia mint produced coinage for Ecuador. Four denominations (5, 10, and 20 Centavos, and Un Sucre) were coined with a total combined mintage of 128,000,000 coins with a total face value of 29,500,000 Sucres.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 20 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This is a very common coin, but it also appears to have been popular with the people of Ecuador when it was released. Lightly circulated examples are very common, but high grade uncirculated coins are more elusive. NGC has graded 4 at this level with 5 higher. This is actually a difficult coin to obtain in high grades.

Date acquired:8/11/2016 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 10/2/2018
View Coin Registry ECUADOR SUCRE 1934 PHILA USA KM-72 NGC MS 64 Ecuador - 1934 - Un Sucre - KM #72 - Mintage: 2,000,000

These coins were minted for the "Repuplica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint. "PHILA.U.S.A." is even marked at the bottom of the reverse.

Date acquired: 1/1/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 1/12/2015 (self submitted)

Rev. 1/12/2015
View Coin Registry ECUADOR 2S 1928 PHILA USA KM-73 NGC AU 58 Ecuador - 1928 (PHILA USA) Dos Sucre - KM #73 - Mintage: 500,000

Date acquired: 5/1/2007 (raw coin)
Date graded: 12/29/2014 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/29/2014
View Coin   HONDURAS 50C 1951 KM-74 NGC MS 62 Honduras - 1951 50 Centavos - KM #74 - Mintage: 500,000

Minted by the Philadelphia Mint for circulation in Honduras.

Date acquired: 3/8/2015 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev 9/14/2015
View Coin   NETHERLANDS 1817 TO DATE GULDEN 1944P Netherland LEGEND RIGHT OF BUST KM-161.2 PCGS MS 63 Netherlands - 1944P (Acorn) Gulden - KM #161.2 - Mintage: 105,125,000 (Both varieties)

Varieties:
KM-161.1 Obverse Legend ends below bust truncation.
KM-161.2 Obverse Legend ends at right of bust truncation

Reverse: Crowned arms
Edge Lettering: GOD * ZIJ * MET * ONS *

Date acquired: 7/14/2013 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 7/14/2013
View Coin   N.E.INDIES 1/2C 1945P N.e.indies KM-314.2 PCGS MS 66 Red Netherlands East Indies - 1945P 1/2 Cent - KM #314.2 - Mintage: 400,000,000

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark just below the "45" in the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark ( below the "19" in the date) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used. The Palm Tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

These coins must not have been very popular with the public, because high grade examples are as common as grains of sand on a beach. Full red, unblemished, high grade examples are a bit more rare though and this is an exceptionally nice one.

Date acquired: 8/29/2010 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 10/26/2014
View Coin   Netherlands Indies CENT 1942 P KM-317 PCGS MS 66 Red Netherlands East Indies - 1942P 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage:100,000,000

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark just below the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark (to the left of the denomination) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

An interesting characteristic of the One Cent coins in this series is that they appear to be struck with medalic rotation while all of the other denominations struck for the Netherlands East Indies were struck with the normal "coin" rotation.

This particular coin is a beautiful high grade red example of this otherwise common date.

Date acquired: 6/10/2009 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 12/8/2015
View Coin   N.E.INDIES CENT 1942P N.e.indies KM-317 NGC MS 65 RD Netherlands East Indies - 1942P 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage:100,000,000

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark just below the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark (to the left of the denomination) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

An interesting characteristic of the One Cent coins in this series is that they appear to be struck with medalic rotation while all of the other denominations struck for the Netherlands East Indies were struck with the normal "coin" rotation.

This particular coin is a beautiful full red high grade example of this otherwise very common date. It was also selected by NGC to be the Plate coin for the Coin Values web page.

Date acquired: 1/17/2008 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 10/30/2015 (Self Submitted)

Rev. 12/2/2015
View Coin   N.E.INDIES CENT 1945P N.e.indies KM-317 NGC MS 66 Red Brown Netherlands East Indies - 1945P 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage: 335,000,000
184,003,000 minted in 1945
150,997,000 minted in 1946, but still dated 1945

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark just below the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark (to the left of the denomination) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used. The Palm Tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

An interesting characteristic of the One Cent coins in this series is that they appear to be struck with medalic rotation while all of the other denominations struck for the Netherlands East Indies were struck with the normal "coin" rotation.

This coin is a pleasing high grade red brown specimen.

Varieties: P over S mint mark varieties are known to exist, and the author owns one.

Date acquired: 7/8/2007 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/17/2016
View Coin   N.E.INDIES CENT 1945D N.e.indies KM-317 NGC MS 66 RD Netherlands East Indies - 1945D 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage: 133,800,000

This coin was minted by the Denver mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "D" mint mark just below the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark (to the left of the denomination) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used. The Palm Tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

An interesting characteristic of the One Cent coins in this series is that they appear to be struck with medalic rotation while all of the other denominations struck for the Netherlands East Indies were struck with the normal "coin" rotation.

This coin is a very attractive, full red MS66 coin with few equal or finer.

Date acquired: 2/10/2008 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 10/28/2015 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/2/2015
View Coin   N.E.INDIES CENT 1945D N.e.indies KM-317 NGC MS 65 RD Netherlands East Indies - 1945D 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage: 133,800,000

Composition: Bronze
Weight:.......... 4.8000g
Diameter:...... 23mm
Edge:............. Plain

The obverse identifies the coins as having been minted for NEDERLANDSCH INDIE in 1945 by the Denver mint, the D mint mark appearing just below the date on the right side. A palm tree privy mark also appears on the coin on the left side between the denomination of "1 Ct" and the "N" of NEDERLANDSCH. The palm tree privy mark was used on all dutch colonial coins minted by the US mints from 1941 through 1945. An acorn privy mark was used on cons minted for the Dutch homeland of the Netherlands during those years. In only one case was the privy mark actually necessary to differentiate where the coin was intended to circulate. There is no need to make that distinction on the coins struck for the Dutch East Indies, but the palm tree privy mark appears on every design struck for Dutch colonies by the US mints. The only other obverse design element is most likely a rice panicle which surrounds the center hole.

The reverse of this coin is predominately in Javanese script, but also Arabic script which phonetically reads from Indonesian 'Syukur pada Allah', above the hole, and 'Rupiah' below the hole. Translated to English, 'give thanks to God' and 'rupiah', the unit of currency still used in Indonesia today. The flowers at the bottom of the reverse may be Jasmine Sambac, but I am not absolutely certain of that.

One other odd thing about these coins is their die orientation. The One Cent coins were minted with medalic rotation while ALL other coins minted for the Netherlands and the Dutch colonies of Curacao, Suriname, and the Netherlands East Indies were minted with Coin rotation.

There are four of these coins graded by NGC as RED, two in MS65RD, and two in MS67RD for this date. Unfortunately, this one was placed in the holder backwards!

Date acquired: 2/1/2012 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 5/10/2016
View Coin   Netherlands Indies 1/10G 1941 S KM-318 PCGS MS 65 Netherlands East Indies - 1941S 1/10 G - KM #318 - Mintage: 58,150,000

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

As of this revision, this is the finest example to have been graded by either PCGS or NGC.

Date acquired: 3/8/2009 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 12/8/2014
View Coin   N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1941P N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 66 Netherlands East Indies - 1941P 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 34,947,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the P mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a P mint mark. The others are the Netherlands East Indies 1/10G, and the 10 and 25 Cent coins minted for Curaçao and Suriname. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. PHILADELPHIA is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This particular coin is very well struck in the date area of the obverse, unlike many seen of this date. As of this revision, PCGS has graded one finer at MS67 and NGC has graded 2 finer at MS67.

Date acquired: 5/8/2006 (raw coin)
date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin   N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1941P N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 65 Netherlands East Indies - 1941P 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 34,947,000

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the "P" mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a "P" mint mark. The others are the Netherlands East Indies 1/10G., and the 10 and 25 Cent coins minted for Curaçao and Suriname. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. "Philadelphia" is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!

This particular coin is softly struck in the date area of the obverse, but otherwise.well deserving of the grade.

Date acquired: 11/25/2015 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 12/1/2015
View Coin   Netherlands Indies 1/4G 1941 P KM-319 PCGS MS 64 Netherlands East Indies - 1941P 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 34,947,000

This is a beautiful, well struck example for an MS64 grade.

Date acquired: 1/24/2010 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 4/22/2015
View Coin Registry N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1942S N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 64 Netherlands East Indies - 1942S 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 32,000,000

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

This particular coin is a nice example of this relatively common date.

Date acquired: 3/31/2010 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/17/2016
View Coin   N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1945S N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 65 Netherlands East Indies - 1945S 1/4 G (Palm Privy) - KM #319 - Mintage: 56,000,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This is a beautiful example of this relatively common date.

Date acquired: 9/12/2015 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin   NICARAGUA 1C 1943 KM-20 PCGS MS 64 Nicaragua - 1943(P) Centavo - (KM # 20) - Mintage: 1,000,000

Date acquired: 5/19/2013 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 1/17/2016
View Coin   PANAMA BALBOA 1947 KM-13 PCGS MS 64 Panama -1947 Balboa - KM #13 - Mintage:500,000

Date acquired: 10/24/2010 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 1/17/2016
View Coin   PERU - DECIMAL 2C 1919 KM-A212 NGC MS 64 Brown Peru - 1919 2 Centavos - KM #A212 - Mintage: 3,000,000

Minted by the US Mint in Philadelphia for circulation in Peru.

Date acquired: 1/20/2008 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/17/2016
View Coin Registry United States 1/2C 1903 USA-PHIL ALLEN-1.01 PCGS PF 64 RB Lyman Allen #1.01 (KM #162) - Mintage: 2,558

Mintage for the first year of US/Philippine proof coin production was limited to 2,558 sets. The seven coin Philippine proof sets were produced at the Philadelphia mint from 1903 through 1908 (excluding 1907), and were sold to the general public for $2.00 per set. At the time these sets were produced, there was no protective packaging. Each coin was individually wrapped in tissue paper and placed in a plain paper coin envelope. As a result, many proof coins exhibit micro thin hairline scratches as well as heavy toning. When combined with very low mintages, and low initial sales to the public, it's easy to see why fully gem proof coins are very rare.

This particular coins exhibits a bit of mottled toning on the reverse, but looks much better in hand than the photos make it appear.

Date acquired: 8/27/2009 (already graded by PCGS)

References:
- Shafer, N. "United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands." Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1961.

Rev. 1/1/2016
View Coin Registry United States 1/2C 1904 USA-PHIL ALLEN-1.02 NGC MS 64 RB Lyman Allen #1.02 (KM #162) - Mintage: 5,654,000

Half Centavos were not popular with the public, and production was discontinued early in 1904. They would never again be produced for general circulation and only extremely small quantities would be minted in proof for inclusion in the proof sets of 1905, 1906, and 1908. In 1908, roughly 40% of all half centavos minted would be shipped to the San Francisco mint to be re-coined into One Centavo pieces.

In addition to the 1,355 regular proof sets minted in 1904, another 10,000 uncirculated sets were ordered by the well known numismatist Farran Zerbe to be sold at the Philippine Exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in1904. Supply far exceeded demand for these uncirculated sets, and only 3,254 were sold at the exposition. The remaining 6,746 sets were shipped to the Philippines where another 500 were sold by the Treasury. The 6,246 unsold sets were ultimately broken up and released into general circulation. I don't know if the half centavos for these 10,000 sets were specially struck or just taken from the mintage intended for general circulation.

Unlike the 1903 Half Centavo, full red examples of the 1904 Half Centavo are extremely rare, As of this revision, NGC has certified only 6 as full red with 17 by PCGS. Unfortunately, the brown spots on each side of the coin kept NGC from assigning a red grade to the coin. So it goes.

Date acquired: 4/9/2021 (raw coin)
Date graded: 7/8/2021 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 8/13/2021
View Coin Registry United States 1/2C 1904 USA-PHIL ALLEN-1.02 NGC MS 63 RB Lyman Allen #1.02 (KM #162) - Mintage: 5,654,000

Half Centavos were not popular with the public, and production was discontinued early in 1904. They would never again be produced for general circulation and only extremely small quantities would be minted in proof for inclusion in the proof sets of 1905, 1906, and 1908. In 1908, roughly 40% of all half centavos minted would be shipped to the San Francisco mint to be re-coined into One Centavo pieces.

In addition to the 1,355 regular proof sets minted in 1904, another 10,000 uncirculated sets were ordered by the well known numismatist Farran Zerbe to be sold at the Philippine Exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in1904. Supply far exceeded demand for these uncirculated sets, and only 3,254 were sold at the exposition. The remaining 6,746 sets were shipped to the Philippines where another 500 were sold by the Treasury. The 6,246 unsold sets were ultimately broken up and released into general circulation. I don't know if the half centavos for these 10,000 sets were specially struck or just taken from the mintage intended for general circulation.

Unlike the 1903 Half Centavo, full red examples of the 1904 Half Centavo are extremely rare, As of this revision, NGC has certified only 3 as full red. Certified red-brown examples are a bit more plentiful, but the vast majority have been graded as brown. This coin is a nice RB example of one of the last Half Centavos minted for general circulation.

Date acquired: 5/03/2009 (already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/1/2016
View Coin Registry United States 1C 1903 USA-PHIL ALLEN-2.01 PCGS MS 63 RB Lyman Allen #2.01 (KM #163) – Mintage: 10,790,000

The first of the one centavo pieces minted by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia for circulation in the Philippines.

This coin is very nearly a full red example.

Date acquired: 7/13/2011 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 12/18/2015
View Coin Registry United States 1C 1903 USA-PHIL ALLEN-2.01 PCGS PF 64 RB Lyman Allen #2.01 (KM #163) - Mintage: 2,558

Mintage for the first year of US/Philippine proof coin production was limited to 2,558 sets. The seven coin Philippine proof sets were produced at the Philadelphia mint from 1903 through 1908 (excluding 1907), and were sold to the general public for $2.00 per set. At the time these sets were produced, there was no protective packaging. Each coin was individually wrapped in tissue paper and placed in a plain paper coin envelope. As a result, many proof coins exhibit micro thin hairline scratches as well as heavy toning. When combined with very low mintages and low initial sales to the public, it's easy to see why fully gem proof coins are very rare.

This particular coin exhibits unusual toning which appears much nicer in hand than these scans would indicate.

Date acquired: 8/25/2009 (already graded by PCGS)

References:
- Shafer, N. "United States Territorial Coinage for the Philippine Islands." Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1961.

Rev. 12/18/2015
View Coin Registry United States 1C 1904 USA-PHIL ALLEN-2.02 PCGS MS 65 RB Lyman Allen #2.02 (KM #163) - Mintage: 17,040,000

As in 1903, the 1904 Centavo was only minted in Philadelphia. This production of Centavos in 1904 would be the greatest produced at the Philadelphia mint and would not be surpassed until 1936 by the Manila Mint and again in 1944 and 1945 by the San Francisco Mint. The high mintage makes this a fairly common coin in this series.

Despite the relatively high mintage, few if any full red examples have been certified for this date, so RB coins are generally all that is available.

I was pleased to happen upon this high grade RB example.which exhibits typical striking characteristics for Centavos minted in 1904.

Varieties: None cataloged for this year.

Date acquired: 7/12/2011 (already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 12/7/2015
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