u/MrMEPHlSTO

1862-P and a pair of 1863-P's. The "nudies" exhibits signs of cleaning, the one in the flip appears to be "au naturale" -- these being minted and circulated and spent during the height of the U.S. Civil War.

Sharing a pair because I acquired them both in a single flip that was meant for a dollar coin. So I just photographed them both.

1885-P Indian Head Penny
1894-P Indian Head Penny

The 1885 is a semi-key due to an economic downturn resulting in lower production/mintage.

The 1894 is a semi-key due to the same reasons, and about half the normal production of pennies occurred that year.

Struggling to figure out what this is. Took a crack at acquiring both a 1938-SS and this alleged 1938-SSS at auction. Things got too chaotic, ended up getting one of the two. But it's still a PITA to try to distinguish between the two. So I'll open with posting the photos of the SSS for evaluation by the group.

I'll comment with the photos from the SS in the same sale.

Then I'll comment with a sample from the PCGS website.

In keeping with my show-and-tell posts, with the help of Gemini AI, I ask for a little background/history on coins I share with friends & family, and am just reposting here to share with you.

1891-CC MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR

1. The Glamour of the "CC" Mint Mark

The "CC" stamp on the back of your coin stands for the legendary Carson City Mint in Nevada. This mint was built directly on top of the Comstock Lode—the greatest silver discovery in American history. Of all the US mints, Carson City produced the absolute fewest Morgan Silver Dollars (accounting for only about 2% of all Morgans ever minted). Because its print runs were so small, any coin with a "CC" mark is highly prized by collectors today.

2. Born from the Wild West Frontier

The Carson City Mint only produced coins from 1870 to 1893. This means your 1891 coin was struck right during the final chapter of the mint's history. During the 19th century, regular citizens living in the American West did not trust paper money. They demanded hard, heavy silver coins for everyday commerce. Your coin's subtle surface wear means it actually circulated through the hands of everyday frontiersmen, miners, or saloon keepers in the Old West. 

3. Political Backstabbing and the "Panic of 1893"

Your coin was born out of a massive political fight. In 1890, Congress passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, forcing the US government to buy millions of ounces of silver monthly to mint into coins. This kept the Carson City Mint running hot to strike your 1891 dollar. However, this massive over-supply of silver completely backfired, triggering a catastrophic economic depression called the Panic of 1893. The government repealed the law, and the Carson City Mint was forced to stop striking coins forever in 1893. 

4. Who is the Face on the Coin?

The woman depicted as Lady Liberty on the front side has a great backstory. Instead of using a mythical Greek goddess, the coin's designer, George T. Morgan, broke tradition by using a real person as his model. He chose a young Philadelphia schoolteacher named Anna Willess Williams. At the time, she was forced to pose in absolute secrecy because modeling for a coin was considered highly scandalous for a proper working woman!

(This was the very first CC coin I ever acquired, always having wanted one when I was a mere youngin')

Very cool background story on the 1883 V Nickel...

🕵️‍♂️ The Story of the "Racketeer Nickel"

When the U.S. Mint released the brand-new Liberty Head nickel in 1883, they made a huge, hilarious mistake.

The Missing Word: The back of the coin had a giant Roman numeral "V" (for 5 cents), but the designers completely forgot to stamp the word "CENTS" anywhere on it.

The Size Match: The new nickel happened to be the exact same size and design style as the U.S. $5 Gold Liberty coin.

The Scam: Clever con artists quickly realized they could buy a brand-new nickel for 5 cents, dip it in a thin layer of gold plating, and pass it off to busy bartenders or shopkeepers as a $5 gold piece! They would buy a 5-cent item, hand over the fake "gold" coin, and walk away with $4.95 in real silver change.

🦻 The Legend of Josh Tatum

The most famous story from this historical blunder involves a deaf-mute man named Josh Tatum.  Tatum went from town to town gold-plating these nickels. Because he could not speak, he would walk into a store, slide the gold-plated nickel across the counter to buy a 5-cent cigar, and silently wait. If the clerk mistook it for a $5 gold coin and handed him $4.95 in change, Tatum simply pocketed the money and walked out.

When the law finally caught up to him, his lawyer successfully argued that Tatum never actually lied to anyone or claimed the coin was worth five dollars—the clerks just gave him too much change, and he was too polite to argue! Tatum was acquitted, and many historians believe this specific case is where the famous American phrase "You're just joshing me" comes from.

🏛️ The Sudden Mint Fix

The U.S. government was so embarrassed by the widespread scam that they stopped production midway through 1883. They rushed out a second version of the coin that forcefully added the word "CENTS" along the bottom rim to protect shopkeepers.

Occasionally will share something from my collection and, with the help and efficiency of AI, offer some background/historical information for interest.

👑 The 1921-P Walking Liberty Half Dollar: A Numismatic Icon

🏛️ The Great Design Revolution

Introduced in 1916, the Walking Liberty design was part of a massive renaissance in American coinage spearheaded by President Theodore Roosevelt, who believed U.S. coins should be works of world-class art.

Designed by famous sculptor Adolph A. Weinman, the coin features a powerful image of Lady Justice marching toward a rising sun on the front, wrapped in the American flag and carrying branches of laurel and oak. The reverse showcases a magnificent, aggressive American Bald Eagle perched on a mountain crag. To this day, many historians consider it the most beautiful circulating coin design the United States has ever produced.

📉 The Economic Crisis That Sparked a Rarity

By 1921, the post-World War I global economy crashed into a severe, short-lived recession. Businesses ground to a halt, spending plummeted, and massive stockpiles of existing half dollars sat completely idle in bank vaults.

Because nobody was spending money, the U.S. Mint simply didn't need to make new coins. The Philadelphia Mint didn't fire up the half-dollar coin presses until the very end of the year, striking a historic low of just 246,000 coins.

To put that tiny mintage into perspective:

• In 1918, Philadelphia minted over 27 million halves.
• In 1943, they minted over 53 million.
• The 1921 production run represents a microscopic 0.4% of a standard year’s output, cementing it as the lowest-mintage regular-issue coin in the entire 31-year history of the series.

🌪️ Surviving The Great Depression

Making a coin rare at the mint is only half the battle; it also has to survive history. Because 50 cents was a large amount of money in the 1920s and 1930s (equivalent to roughly $8–$10 today), everyday working-class Americans couldn't afford to save or collect coins.

Almost every single 1921 half dollar was tossed directly into circulation and spent repeatedly. They passed through thousands of hands during the Great Depression, buying groceries, paying streetcar fares, and slowly wearing away. Millions were eventually melted down by the government in later decades.

🔎 Why Your Specific Coin is Special

The fact that this coin exists today with a fully legible, clear "1921" date makes it a true survivor. Because it passed the ultimate test of time without being harshly cleaned or damaged, it stands as a genuine, certified piece of American history—and the ultimate "trophy coin" anchor of your early silver collection!

(VALUE: Allegedly $100-$200 in G-4 to F-12 Condition)

Again, sharing, as I do with friends and family, items from my modest collection and, with the help and efficiency of AI, some background and history of the coins I share...

🦬 1. The Design: An American Masterpiece

• The Artist: The coin was designed by a famous American sculptor named James Earle Fraser. If you look on the front side right under the year 1938, you will spot a tiny letter "F". That is his designer signature!
• The Native Portrait: Instead of using a single person, Fraser modeled the portrait on the front by blending the facial features of three different Native American chiefs who visited Washington D.C. in the early 1900s: Chief Iron Tail (Sioux), Chief Two Moons (Cheyenne), and Chief John Big Tree (Seneca).
• The Bison: The massive beast on the back was modeled after "Black Diamond," a famous, 1,550-pound American bison who lived at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. Fraser used to sit outside the enclosure and sketch him.

🛑 2. Why 1938 is Historically Special

Your coin marks a major turning point in American history. By U.S. law, a coin's design cannot be changed until it has been minted for at least 25 years.

• The Buffalo Nickel started in 1913, and by 1938, its mandatory 25 years were officially up.
• The U.S. Treasury was eager to replace it with a new design honoring Thomas Jefferson (the Jefferson Nickel we still use today).
• Because of this transition, 1938 was the absolute final year the Buffalo Nickel was ever made.

🏛️ 3. The "Denver Only" Mystery

If you check coin records, you will find that the main U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and the mint in San Francisco did not make a single regular Buffalo Nickel in 1938.

• Only the Denver Mint (the "D" mark on the back of your coin) struck them that year.
• They made a total of 7,020,000 nickels. While that sounds like a lot, it is actually a very low number compared to most coin productions, making the 1938-D a highly sought-after final-year issue.

✨ 4. Why Your Coin Looks So "Too Perfect"

You might wonder how a coin made nearly 90 years ago can still look like it was minted this morning. There is a great historical reason for this:

• The Collector Panic: Back in 1938, word got out to the public that the beloved Buffalo design was being permanently canceled.
• The Vault Hoards: People and bank tellers across the country panicked and immediately began hoarding brand-new, uncirculated rolls of the 1938-D nickels straight from the Federal Reserve banks.
• The Result: Because millions of these coins were tucked safely away in drawers and vaults instead of being spent on candy or newspapers, the 1938-D has a uniquely high survival rate in Mint State condition. Your coin is one of those lucky survivors that never faced the wear and tear of the real world!