Today's coin is a strange one. Most people are unaware that the US ever produced a 20 cent coin. And for good reason, it only ever circulated for 2 years at the end of the 1800's! After that it took its place in history alongside the other defunct denominations of US currency, the 1/2 cent, 2 cent, and 3 cent coins.
When you look at the other coins circulating alongside the 20c piece, it is very obvious why it was so unpopular. All of the other silver coins at the time, the dime, the quarter, the half dollar, and the silver dollar, had exactly the same motif on the front. And the quarter was almost exactly the same size! Even side by side they are hard to tell apart unless you actually read the denomination on the back, which quickly wore off on these soft silver coins.
According to historical accounts, the idea for the coin was pushed through
Senator John Percival Jones, who represented the silver miners of Nevada. He wanted a coin for international trade (similar to the trade dollar) that would have the same amount of silver as the then popular French franc. The idea failed, and most of the coins were soon melted down to be converted into more popular denominations. In fact, of the 10,000 minted at the Carson City mint, only 12-20 still exist according to the wikipedia!
In an ironic twist, the coin is now highly sought by coin collectors. Its extreme unpopularity made it scarce, and its scarcity has driven up its price. Even a worn down example of the most common year and mintmark (1875-S) runs close to $100! That's pretty good for a coin with a face value of only 20 cents!
When you look at the other coins circulating alongside the 20c piece, it is very obvious why it was so unpopular. All of the other silver coins at the time, the dime, the quarter, the half dollar, and the silver dollar, had exactly the same motif on the front. And the quarter was almost exactly the same size! Even side by side they are hard to tell apart unless you actually read the denomination on the back, which quickly wore off on these soft silver coins.
According to historical accounts, the idea for the coin was pushed through
Senator John Percival Jones, who represented the silver miners of Nevada. He wanted a coin for international trade (similar to the trade dollar) that would have the same amount of silver as the then popular French franc. The idea failed, and most of the coins were soon melted down to be converted into more popular denominations. In fact, of the 10,000 minted at the Carson City mint, only 12-20 still exist according to the wikipedia!In an ironic twist, the coin is now highly sought by coin collectors. Its extreme unpopularity made it scarce, and its scarcity has driven up its price. Even a worn down example of the most common year and mintmark (1875-S) runs close to $100! That's pretty good for a coin with a face value of only 20 cents!
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