Peg Leg ‘R’ Exists on 1936 Lincoln Cents
Have there been some 1936 Lincoln cents found that are missing a peg in the “R” in “LIBERTY?”
The Philadelphia Mint struck more cents during 1936 than at any time since 1920. The best-known variety is the Doubled Die Obverse, identified by the doubling of the two mottos and the date. A 1936 cent missing the right leg in “R” (dubbed the Peg Leg or Broken R) has been discussed on CoinTalk. com, with there being questions raised about if this might be related to a lamination error or to the doubled die variety. I am unaware of any example that has been submitted to a third-party certification service for examination.
When was the first magazine for coin collectors published?
Germany rather than the United States was the birthplace of magazines for coin collectors. The best known of these early publications is likely Köhlers Münzbelustigungen published by Johann David Köhler between 1729 and 1750 in Nürnberg. Köhler was a prominent historian with a special emphasis on ancient Rome.
What was the first coin publication in the United States?
This is open to debate. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson sent a report to the House of Representatives in 1790 addressing Jefferson’s objections to U.S. coins being minted overseas. U.S. Mint reports were first published in 1792. The first auction catalog was likely a printed broadside for the June 12, 1828, sale of the Benjamin H. Watkins collection. In 1858, John Hickox published An Historical Account of American Coinage. This was followed by The American Journal of Numismatics in 1866, published by the American Numismatic Society in New York.
Is there a way I can determine if my coin is Mint State 65 or better without the aid of a third-party grading service?
Anyone can assign grades to coins; however, third party certification services employ experienced individuals whose experience and opinion is generally recognized. If you chose to grade your coins in Mint State grades yourself, you need to consider the quality and sharpness of the strike, the luster or “mint bloom,” the high points of normal wear, abrasions and bag marks. This is a tall order for an inexperienced collector, but it can be done. Be aware if you chose to sell uncirculated U.S. coins without a third-party certification, you will likely meet with resistance from potential buyers.
When was the first coin convention held?
It is difficult to identify the first true coin fair or convention, which is more likely to have taken place in Europe than in the United States. The American Numismatic Association held the first high-profile such event in the United States, this being Oct. 7, 1891, in Chicago by the Committee on Temporary Organization of the American Numismatic Association.
Do we know who was the first person in the United States to collect coins?
In a study on the subject, Joel Orosz identified Pierre Eugène du Simitière (1737-1784) as the likely candidate to have been the first identifiable collector in the country. On Sept. 2, 1787, Salem, Mass., collector William Bently (17591819) wrote, “About this time there was a great difficulty respecting the circulation of small copper coin. Those of George III, being well executed, were of uncommon thinness, and those stamped from the face of other coppers in sand, commonly called ‘Birmingham,’ were very badly executed. Beside these were the coppers bearing the authority of the states of Vermont, Connecticut and New York, etc., but no accounts how issued, regularly transmitted.”