Q. David Bowers
Coins Issued in Pairs and Sets
Certain groups of two or three coins that were originally distributed as sets are listed that way in the following text. Examples include the 1935 Denver and San Francisco pair of Boone half dollars with "small 1934" and the 1936 Cincinnati P-D-S (Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints) set, among many others.
In instances in which the mintages are equal or nearly equal for the various coins in such sets, divide the price of the set by the number of coins in the set to calculate the value of a single coin (and add a small premium, for sets usually sell for slightly less on a per-coin basis than single specimens). For example, to find the value of a single Cincinnati half dollar, divide the set price by three. Until encapsulating (slabbing) coins became popular beginning in 1986 and sets were broken up to be put into individual slabs, coins issued in sets were often sold as sets (this was particularly true for the Arkansas, Boone, Oregon Trail, Texas, Booker T. Washington, and Carver Washington issues).
Nomenclature, Arrangement and Style
The various issues are listed first chronologically, then alphabetically, under their popular names, sometimes without "centennial," "sesquicentennial," etc. Such terms as centennial, sesquicentennial, etc., when used as part of a coin title are capitalized, as in Illinois Centennial half dollar. In Original literature and advertisements capitalization was inconsistent.
In instances of long series such as the 1926-1939 Oregon Trail half dollars, the listings for all coins and sets in the series are found immediately following the first coin, in this example the 1926.
In instances of government officials and others I have followed The Chicago Manual of Style and have capitalized their titles if they appear before their names, and have not capitalized them otherwise. Examples: President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Franklin D. Roosevelt, president of the United States. Chief Engraver Elizabeth Jones. Elizabeth Jones, chief engraver. Mint Director Donna Pope. Donna Pope, Mint director. In government records and in promotional literature issued by the Mint, titles are usually (but not always) capitalized in nearly all instances no matter where they appear.
Works of art (such as paintings and statues; except the Statue of Liberty, which is a national monument) and book titles are italicized in the present text. Examples: Statue of Freedom, Minute Man statue.
Coin names and medal names are not italicized. Examples: Columbian half dollar, Congressional Medal of Honor. Original style in documents, quotations, etc., was inconsistent.
Certain quotations have been lightly edited for spelling and clarity.