20 Cent Coin
Seated Liberty 20 Cents
See every grade for Seated 20 Cents, 20C or Twenty Cents US Coin from Fair to MS67 with pictures. These can be used to help grade Seated Half Dollars, Seated Quarters and Seated Dimes also. Coin grading information for the United States coin collector. Photograde pics. David also recently sold a 20-cent coin with scalloped edges, which happened in a printing mistake with an overseas coin. There are just 10 of these 20-cent coins believed to be in circulation. Credit: Supplied “In 1981, The Royal Mint in London produced our 20-cent pieces,” Jobson said. “They also produced the Hong Kong $2 coins. The 20 Cent Piece is a twenty cent coin made by the United States Mint beginning in 1875 and ending in 1878, one of the shortest mintages in U.S. The coin was made in an effort to export more silver as other countries at the time preferred a coin that was 20/100 denomination rather than the 25/100 denomination of the United States Quarter.
20-cent coin has brief four-year tenure By Michele Orzano
COIN WORLD Staff The short-lived 20-cent series was born a year before the United States celebrated its centennial. And although the series can not lay claim to t...READ MORE
Seated Liberty 20 Cents
20-cent coin has brief four-year tenure20 Cent Coin American
By Michele Orzano20 Cent Coin Singapore
COIN WORLD Staff The short-lived 20-cent series was born a year before the United States celebrated its centennial. And although the series can not lay claim to the longevity of the country, the silver coin does continue to attract interest long after its birth. The obverse of the 20-cent coin bears a modified rendition of Christian Gobrecht's design of 13 stars around a figure of Liberty seated on a rock. Gobrecht's design was first used on the silver dollars of 1836. John Hughes and William Barber are credited with modifications made for the design's use on the 20-cent coin. An original design by Barber – showing a facing eagle with partially raised wings, three arrows in the eagle's right claw, olive branch in the other – was used on the reverse. According to numismatic researchers this design is considered an heraldic faux pas, favoring the arrows of war over the olive branch of peace, but it was copied from the Trade dollar, which Barber also designed. Barber, as chief engraver, engraved both the obverse and reverse designs of the coin. He served in the position of chief engraver for a short time, dying Aug. 31, 1879, just eight months after the death of his predecessor James B. Longacre. Barber's son, Charles, an assistant engraver at the time, assumed the chief engraver's position after his father's death. Although William Barber is one of the most well-known Mint engravers who did much original work on pattern coins and also designed many medals, only the 20-cent coin and the Trade dollar were his designs selected for circulating coins. Seated Liberty 20-cent coins were struck for only four years: 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1878, the last two years in Proof only. Coins dated 1875 were struck at the Philadelphia, Carson City and San Francisco Mints while coins dated 1876 were struck at the Philadelphia and Carson City Mints only. The first year of issue saw 38,500 coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint and 1,200 Proofs are known for this date. At the Carson City Mint there were a total of 133,290 circulation strikes but no known Proofs. There are six to seven Proof 1875-S coins known, probably struck to celebrate the first (or last) year of this denomination at the San Francisco Mint. No official Proof mintages were reported for this year, but it was the largest mintage of the series with 1,155,000 business strikes. Virtually all 10,000 of the 1876-CC coins were melted at the Carson City Mint and no Proofs are known. A few of the circulation strikes escaped, possibly as souvenirs given to visitors. Fewer than 20 are known today. Only 14,750 1876 coins were struck for circulation and 1,150 Proofs were made at the Philadelphia Mint. The Philadelphia Mint struck 510 Proof coins dated 1877 and 600 dated 1878.
Seated Liberty 20 Cents | |
| Date of authorization: | March 3, 1875 |
| Dates of issue: | 1875-1876 |
| Designers: | Obverse: Thomas Sully-Christian Gobrecht- Robert Ball Hughes-William Barber Reverse: William Barber |
| Engraver: | William Barber |
| Diameter: | 22.50 mm/0.89 inch |
| Weight: | 5.00 grams/0.16 ounce |
| Metallic content: | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight of pure silver: | 4.50 grams/0.14 ounce |
| Edge: | Plain |
| Mint mark: | Reverse below eagle |