STAMPS

Major types of US dollars Coins

Dollars appear in nine major types, which we discuss in this article.

Flowing Hair (1794–1795)

The first U.S. silver dollars bore Robert Scot’s Flowing Hair design. Because the U.S. Mint relied on depositors for its silver (see the “Flowing Hair half dollars (1794–1795)” section, earlier in this chapter), mintages are spotty. In fact, less than 2,000 1794 silver dollars were struck. As expected, the 1794 is rare, but the 1795 is affordable.

Draped Bust (1795–1804)

The Draped Bust silver dollar comes in two subtypes: one with the plain eagle design of 1795 and a later version with an eagle with a shield. The rarest date in this series is the 1804, one of the greatest rarities in all of U.S. numismatics (holder of a record price of $4.14 million — see Chapter 24). Funny thing, though: The 1804 dollar wasn’t struck until at least 1834, when some were made as special presentation pieces for overseas VIPs. Several collectors are working on die-variety sets from this type, but the high cost of the coins keeps most collectors out.

Seated Liberty (1836–1873)

No silver dollars were struck for circulation between 1804 and 1836, which was an awfully long time to go without one of the bedrocks of the U.S. money system. In 1836, an employee of the U.S. Mint named Christian Gobrecht designed a new silver dollar featuring a Seated Liberty design that was to become a standard on all silver coins just a few years later. The reverse of the coin shows an eagle in flight amidst a field of stars (this beautiful Flying Eagle reverse was never adopted for use on silver dollars, but it did eventually appear on the new small cents of 1856–1858). By the time Gobrecht’s silver dollar made it into general circulation in 1840, the reverse design of the coin was changed to a plain eagle with arrows and an olive branch in its talons.

Trade (1873–1885)

In 1873, the U.S. Mint began producing a special silver dollar to circulate in the Orient and compete with similar coins from other nations (see Figure 11-30). The new trade dollar bore a modified version of the Seated Liberty design — this time, Liberty is seated on a bale of cotton, and she offers an olive branch to an unknown recipient on the other side of the ocean. The trade dollar enjoyed some popularity in Asia, where merchants would punch their special marks into the coin to give it their stamp of approval. Even though the trade dollar was heavier than the regular U.S. silver dollars, it was good only for purchases up to $5 in the United States. After that, the trade dollar was worth only its bullion value, which was less than its face value. As a result, many of the coins found their way back into the United States, where they could be spent at a profit.

Morgan (1878–1921)

George T. Morgan never could have guessed that his new silver dollar of 1878 would become the most important silver coin in the United States and the most widely collected coin in all of numismatics. Morgan’s design is simple yet elegant, with a classic head of Liberty and an eagle with outstretched wings. Thanks to large hoards of silver dollars uncovered over the years, sufficient quantities of Uncirculated coins exist to support the active collector market. Key dates in this series include the 1889-CC, 1892-S, 1893-S, and the proof-only 1895. Certain Uncirculated silver dollars have mirrored surfaces ranging from partially mirrored to deeply mirrored. A deep mirror proof-like is the collector’s dream, and some dates are extremely rare in this format.

Peace (1921–1935)

Following World War I, everybody wanted peace. Some Americans wanted it so badly that they petitioned for a peace dollar and got it. Unfortunately, by the time the design was finished, peace turned out to be nothing more than a small word on the back of the coin. In a nod to classical ancient styling, the designer used a Roman spelling for the motto In God We Trust, using a V instead of a U. This simple change accounts for a large portion of the phone calls received by dealers every day: New owners of peace dollars think they have a rare error. Peace dollars were made from 1921 to 1935. The first year had an unusually high relief that was lowered in subsequent years. All dates are available and affordable, although the 1928 and 1934-S can be a challenge in nice condition.

Eisenhower head (1971–1978)

The Eisenhower dollar was originally meant to honor the astronauts of Apollo 11 for their historic landing on the moon. However, a portrait of Ike was placed on the front of the coin because he died a few months before the lunar landing took place. The reverse of the coin shows an eagle landing on the moon with an olive branch in its talons. The Ike dollars made for general circulation were made of the same copper-nickel-clad metal used on other U.S. coins beginning in 1965, but collectors were allowed to purchase specially packaged Uncirculated and proof example in 40 percent silver. In 1975 and 1976, a special design was used to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial.

Anthony head (1979–1999)

The Susan B. Anthony Dollar replaced the Eisenhower dollar in 1979. Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s rights, especially the right to vote, in the 1800s. When a new, smaller $1 coin was being considered, Suzie turned out to be one of the more popular subjects. Mint officials thought a smaller dollar would circulate better than the old 38-millimeter version, but the public absolutely hated the new coin because it was too easily confused with a quarter dollar (shades of the old 20-cent piece all over again). Millions of the Anthony dollars remained unissued in the government’s vaults.

Sacagawea (2000 to present)

Despite the failures of the 20-cent piece and the Susan B. Anthony dollars, and despite resistance from the general public, the U.S. government persists in developing small-size dollar coins. Its latest experiment, the Sacagawea dollar, has met with some success.

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‘NSYNC On Stamps – Mint Sheet of 12 – 2A-006 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet of 12 stamps, issued in 2001, featuring famous boy band ‘NSYNC. The sheet features members Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Lance Bass. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

11th Century Art On Stamps TD-M11 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps plus one label, issued in 1999, featuring art from the 11th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

11th Century Highlights On Stamps K-M11 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 11th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

11th Century Highlights TK-M11 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 11th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

12th Century Highlights On Stamps K-M12 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring scenes from the 12th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

12th Century Highlights TK-M12 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 12th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

12th Century Scenes On Stamps TD-M12 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps plus one label, issued in 1999, featuring scenes from the 12th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

13th Century Highlights On Stamps TD-M13 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps plus one label, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 13th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

13th Century Highlights TK-M13 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 13th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

13th Century Scenes On Stamps K-M13 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring scenes from the 13th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

14th Century Highlights On Stamps K-M14 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 14th century, including paintings of the Annunciation, Pope Urban VI, Reliquary of S. Ursula, the Virgin Hodigitria of Volhynia, the Papa Palace, and more. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

14th Century Highlights On Stamps TD-M14 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps plus one label, issued in 1999, featuring highlights of the 14th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

14th Century Highlights TK-M14 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 14th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

15th Century Highlights On Stamps K-M15 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps, with a center label of 3, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 15th century, including paintings of St Michael, St Joan, Pope Alexander VI, Benozzo Gozzoli, The Virgin Hodigitria, a buiilding in Florence, and more. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

15th Century Scenes On Stamps TD-M15 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps plus one label, issued in 1999, featuring scenes from the 15th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

16th Century Highlights TK-M16 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 16th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

16th Century Scenes On Stamps K-M16 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 16th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

17th Century Highlights On Stamps K-M17 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 17th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

17th Century Highlights On Stamps TD-M17 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 6 stamps plus one label, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 17th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

17th Century Highlights TKM17 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 17th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

18th Century Highlights On Stamps K-M18 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 18th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

18th Century Highlights On Stamps TD-M18 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 18th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

18th Century Highlights TKM18 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 18th century. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

2000 Grammy Award Golden Artists On Stamps 761 $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 2000, featuring the nominees for the 2000 Grammy Awards. The artists featured include Destiny’s Child, Madonna, U2, Faith Hill, Radiohead, Steely Dan, Jay-Z, Lee Ann Womack, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Macy Gray, and many more. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

2002 Emmy Awards on Stamps 6907 $6.5 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 2002, depicting stars of the 54th Annual Emmy Awards Show. The stamps featre Oprah Winfrey, Ray Romano, Jennifer Aniston, Sting, The Osbournes, plus 4 other Emmy winners. It’s Post Office fresh, F/VF, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

2007 Rugby World Cup – Mint Sheet of 4 Stamps – SV0079 $6 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 4 stamps, issued in 2007, honoring the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Featured on the sheet are the winning team, the South African Springboks. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Athletes – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4702 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous sports athletes of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are Formula 1 world champion racing car driver Ayrton Senna, Hall of Fame baseball player Roberto Clemente, Formula 1 champion racing car driver Mika Hakkinen, track and field runner Jesse Owens, professional soccer player David Beckham, and all-around athlete Jim Thorpe, shown here playing football. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Athletes – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4711 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous sports athletes of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, World Cup soccer Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona, Formula 1 racecar driving champion Michael Schumacher, professional basketball player Michael Jordan, world champion track and field athlete Carl Lewis, and champion Brazilian soccer player Edson Arantes Pele. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Athletes Ruth, Ali, Woods – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4712 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous sports athletes of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are World Champion chess player Garry Kasparov, World Champion chess player Anatoly Karpov, American League baseball player Babe Ruth, NY Yankees baseball player Joe DiMaggio, World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammed Ali, and professional golfer Tiger Woods. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Celebrities – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4701 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are actor Sean Connery, opera singer Maria Callas, supermodel Naomi Campbell, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, opera singer Montserrat Caballe, and singer Bob Marley. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Celebrities – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4704 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are supermodel Cindy Crawford, opera singer Luciana Pavarotti, jazz composer and musician Duke Ellington, Academy Award-winning actress Grace Kelly, singer and songwriter Jim Morrison, and pop icon performer Michael Jackson. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Celebrities – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4705 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are jazz musician Louis Armstrong, musician Freddie Mercury, Academy and Grammy Award-winning pop/rock musician Elton John, supermodel Claudia Schiffer, songwriter and musician John Lennon, and actress Greta Garbo. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Celebrities – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4707 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are Academy Award-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor, Academy Award-winning actress Sophia Loren, martial arts actor Bruce Lee, pop singer-songwriter Madonna, comedic actor Charlie Chaplin, and Academy Award-winning director and animator Walt Disney. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Celebrities On Stamps AG003 $4 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 2000, honoring great people of the 20th century. Some of the celebrities shown include Muhammad Ali, John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, Jr., and more. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Highlights On Stamp TD-M20A $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring highlights from the 20th century, including the Titanic movie, Claudia Shiffer, a Porsche 911, a Concorde SST, the Manchester United Football team, Pop Art, and much more. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4706 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist Marie Curie, airship inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin, father of nuclear physics Ernest Rutherford, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4713 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, founder of Kodak film George Eastman, German mathematician David Hilbert, telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, and Nobel Prize-winning biologist and pharmacologist Alexander Fleming. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4714 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, science-fiction author Jules Verne, French painter Auguste Renoir, writer Mark Twain, and Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4715 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, author Rudyard Kipling, composer and conductor Gustav Mahler, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Thomas Mann, author Jack London, and French artist Henri Matisse. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4716 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are Nobel Prize-winning author, French composer Claude Debussy, Impressionist artist Edgar Degas, filmmaker Federico Fellini, Surrealist painter Salvador Dali, and artist Marcel Duchamp. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4717 $4 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are Chinese leader Mao Zedong, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, entrepreneur Bill Gates, Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Henry Dunant, founder of Ford Motor Company Henry Ford, and President Bill Clinton. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons – Mint Sheet of 6 Stamps 4718 $3.5 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 6 stamps issued in 2001 featuring famous personalities of the 20th century. Included on the sheet are French Impressionist painter Claude Monet, psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway, Nobel Prize-winning poet Hermann Hesse, German philosopher Martin Heidegger, and Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Icons on Stamps M670 $4.5 This is a beautiful sheet of 4 stamps, issued in 2004, depicting 20th Century Icons, namely John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, Pope John Paul II, and Mother Teresa. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

20th Century Scenes On Stamps K-M20B $3 This is a beautiful sheet of 9 stamps, issued in 1999, featuring scenes from the 20th century. Some of the images shown include world leaders, Bill Clinton, skyscrapers, and the Concorde. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

A Bug’s Life Set of 4 Stamp Sheets E0286-9 $12 This is a beautiful complete set consisting of 4 sheets with a total of 4 stamps, issued in 2005, depicting scenes from the hit movie A BUG’S LIFE . The sheets are Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

African Animals – 2 Mint Stamp Sheet MNH – SV0198 $4 This is a beautiful sheet consisting of 2 stamps, issued in 2008, displaying the Bunyoro Rabbit and the Hooded Vulture Bird. Also featured on the sheet is the scouting symbol. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

African Desert Fauna 9620 $6 This is a beautiful souvenir sheet containing 6 stamps, issued in 2004, depicting fauna from the deserts of Africa. The stamps show reptiles, antelope, fish, and more. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

Aitutaki – Fish – 4 Stamp / 4 Sheet Mint Set 1M-001 $26 This is a beautiful set of 4 sheets, each containing 4 stamps, issued by Aitutaki in 2010, honoring the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) by displaying grouper fish. Featured animals shown include the Tomato Grouper and the Peacock Grouper. The set is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged, and F/VF. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

Albert Einstein & Transportation on Stamps M0833 $7 This is a beautiful Souvenir Sheet containing 5 stamps, issued in 2005, depicting Albert Einstein, and various modes of transportation. The sheet is titled The Theory of Relativity 1905-2005, and has pictures of trains, the Concorde, Fire Engines, and sports and race cars. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items:

Albrecht Durer Art – 4 Stamp Mint Sheet 117-28 $5 This is a beautiful sheet of 4 stamps issued in 2005, depicting four paintings of artist Albrecht Durer. The sheet is Post Office fresh, mint never hinged. Click here to visit my eBay Store for other auctions and Direct Sale items: