Walter Breen
1882
Cent. [3100] Minute positional variations only.
Date closely spaced, nearly straight. Physicalappearance like 1881's, some darker, some with attractive iridescence; these latter from the Wayte Raymond hoard (1880's-90's mostly).
Three Cents. [3100] Close dates. At least three varieties, possibly more, and the carelessly made ones are now being offered as the very rare business strikes. No die variety data as yet available on the latter. Often hoarded; A. M. Smith had 48 outside his sets.
First die. Clear 2, no trace of filling anywhere within the digit. Not rare.
Second die. Top of 2 (only) filled, left base of 1 minutely left of left edge.
Third die. Both 8's and top of 2 filled. Which is scarcest? Beware of specimens being offered as alleged overdates. See below, under Five Cents.
Five Cents. [3100] Regular shield design, with ball above date (for exceptions to both see below). Same comments as to 3¢; Smith's hoard contained 23.
First die. Clear 2. Not rare.
Second die. Filled 2. Date low, well to r., ball above all of first 8 and left third of second. Garrett set, many others.
Third die. Filled 2 and lower half of second 8. ANS, others. The filled 2 coins, unc. and proofs, have been repeatedly offered as "1883/2" in error (the 1883 date is much wider) and sometimes as "1882/l." The roughness within 2 is large enough to conceal a 1 and the spacing is approximately as in 1881; but no definite traces show even at 90x stereo magnification.
-Same design. Five raised bars on edge, equally spaced: "nickel for the blind." Judd 1697. (1) J.C. Michelson estate, Conn. State Library, Hartford. (2) Woodin, Newcomer, Boyd, Col. Curtis, 1958 ANA: 1964. (3) Woodin, Newcomer, Dr. Judd, "Ill. Hist." :577. One of these reappeared in Kagin Sale of 70's: 1363 at a reported $16,000. Others may exist; not everyone looks at the edges of his regular 1882 proof nickels -have you?
_ Similar design, no ball above date. Clear 2. Judd 1693=AW 1678. Very rare, might be mistaken for regular dies.
- Transitional, exact type of 1883: Liberty head, no CENTS. Judd: 1690, A W: 1675. Rare and in demand for the same reason as 1856 nickel cents. Catapulted into popularity in 1957 at the St. Louis Central States convention by Bernie Marshfield, who won an exhibit prize with the one coin. Usually impaired - were these spent?
Minor proof sets. [3100] Some 2000 separately sold, the rest with silver sets. A few original sets survive, possibly from A. M. Smith's hoard of 17, but most were broken up.
Dime. [1100?] At least three varieties; first two not rare. First die. Excessively lapped - skirt incomplete. LM 11/65:270; 4/66:219; 9/67;221.
Second die. Normal drapery. Normal 2. LM 3/68: 303 in set.
Third die. Plainly recut 2. Rarest of the three. Mintage: First quarter, 760; second 180, fourth 105, total 1045, some 45 melted at year's end. But Coiner's quarterly reports omit any 3rd quarter transactions, while other official documents say 700 sets delivered in first quarter, 100 in second, 100 in third, 200 in fourth, total 1100. This implies at least 1100 dimes as no 1881's were on hand in January 1882. Probably 100 more were struck 3rd quarter but unrecorded through error, giving 1145 less 45 melted = [1100].
Quarter. [1180?] Shield point about over left edge of 8, low date to left, polish in stripes and much of drapery. Some deceptive first strikes long masqueraded as proofs, as in earlier and later years in the 80's; now more often vice versa for price reasons.
Mintage: 780 first quarter, 100 second, 80 third, 190 fourth, total 1150; supposedly 1100 sets delivered as above, which would leave some 50 extras for melting at year's end. Coiner's quarterly reports again omitted any third quarter transactions, which would give the result as 1070 coined as against 1100 sets delivered. Most probably again 100 extras were made in the third quarter and unrecorded, giving 1250 of which possibly 70 might have been melted. In this case the net mintage would be [1180].
Half Dollars. [1140?] Type II from new on. Beistle lists two varieties, both with date more or less central. B. I-A: Perfect die, toe enclosed. High date. Line between dentils below 18. Rev. Minor "shift", traces of doubling on many letters; small "return" on left end of scroll separated as in 1880-81, but not the same die. Faint small die file marks above T(ES).
- Same obv.; rev. of 1883 (?), same irregularities on O(F) but no line through AME.
- B. 2-A. Lapped die, toe not enclosed; minute extension (part of misplaced 1) from upper serif of 1. Rev. Same die as first variety. This one is rarer. Which came earlier might be ascertained by checking the Smithsonian set.
Same comment as to preceding half dollars. Popular, subject to date collector pressure and to hoarding, as there are not many of the 4000 business strikes still around aside from several dozen gay deceivers masquerading as proofs.These, as usual, are inferior in relief details to untampered proofs, and often have bag marks.
Mintage: 770 first quarter, 110 second, 40 third, 160 fourth, total 1080, supposedly 40 melted at year's end. But official sources give 1100 sets delivered during the year. Coiner's quarterly reports omit any third quarter transactions. Probably again 100 extras were made then, giving 1180; if the 40 reported melted are a correct figure, this leaves net mintage [1140].
Silver Dollar. [1101?] Same comments as to 1881 dollars. VAM 10. Doubled 82, "closed" 2, left base of 1 left of center.
Mintage: 750 first quarter, 101 second, 100 third, 200 fourth, total 1151; supposedly 50 melted, leaving 1101. Of these 1100 would have gone with the 1100 sets, the singleton for some unknown purpose. Not impossibly here as with the smaller silver coinages, a third quarter delivery might have been omitted.