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Before Abraham Lincoln's portrait was featured on American one-cent coins, the design on the coin was the Indian Head. The attractive design was created by James Longacre. Rumor has it that Longacre used his daughter's likeness for the face. They were minted in the millions from 1859 to 1909. Because so many were put into circulation, they are still relatively cheap to acquire from coin dealers.
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Indian
Head
pennies
Added: 22nd November 2007
Views: 1876
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
 
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Canada once had 25-cent paper money. This is an example. Known commonly as 'shinplasters,' they were discontinued in the early 1930s. Shinplasters can still be bought relatively cheaply from coin and banknote dealers.
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Canadian
shinplasters
Added: 7th June 2008
Views: 1907
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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In 1913, the Indian Head nickel (commonly known as the buffalo nickel) was introduced, replacing the Liberty Head design that had been used since 1883. These were the first official strikings of nickels in 1913; the United States Mint's official records show no Liberty Head nickels were produced that year. Yet five Liberty Head nickels dated 1913 came to the attention of the numismatic community in 1920. All five were in the possession of Samuel Brown, a coin collector who attended the American Numismatic Association's annual convention and displayed the coins there. Brown had previously placed an advertisement in The Numismatist in December 1919 seeking information on these coins and offering to pay $500 for each. Ostensibly, the coins had been purchased as a result of this offer. However, Brown had been a Mint employee in 1913, so many numismatic historians have concluded that he illegally struck the coins himself and then removed them from the Mint. Other numismatic authorities, however, note there are several methods by which the coins could have been legitimately produced. For instance, they may have been lawfully issued by the Mint's Medal Department 'for cabinet purposes,' or they could be trial pieces struck in late 1912 to test the following year's new coinage dies. In January 1924 Brown sold all five 1913 Liberty Head nickels. The intact lot passed through the hands of several other coin dealers before finally being purchased by Colonel E.H.R. Green. Green kept them in his collection until his death in 1936. When his estate was auctioned, all five of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels were purchased by two dealers, Eric P. Newman and B.G. Johnson. The dealers broke up the set for the first time.
The fictional theft of one of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels (known as the Olsen specimen) was the focal point of a December 1973 episode of the popular police drama Hawaii Five-0. It was titled 'The $100,000 Nickel' (which indeed was the value of the coin at the time). Rumors of the existence of a sixth 1913 Liberty Head nickel occasionaly circulate. If one did surface in perfect condition, numismatic experts estimate it could command $20 million at auction. You might want to check your piggy bank...
Tags:
numismatics
1913
nickel
rare
Added: 20th May 2011
Views: 1871
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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This is a group shot of the main players from the Our Gang comedies, circa 1926. From left to right are Joe Cobb, Mickey Daniels, Jackie Condon, Mary Kornman, Johnny Downs, and Jay R. Smith.
The photograph was taken to promote the Western Weld Patch Repair, represented by the ball on which Mary Kornman is sitting. The man standing behind the Our Gang kids is Clarence E. Dunlop, president of Western States Manufacturing Company of Sioux City, IA. The ball was made to demostrate the company's patching process. You can see the strips of patch rubber running up and down the ball, which is eight feet in circumference. The ball was made from nine old tubes and Western Weld patches. The photograph was issued to dealers of Western States' products.
The ball was first publicly shown at the Orange County Fair, with the Our Gang kids making a public appearance to promote the product.
The photograph was taken on the lawn directly behind the Hal Roach Studios administration building, which you can see on the left. The big brick building in the back is one of the two stages that were at the studio at that time.
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Our
Gang
comedies
photo
publicity
Added: 19th May 2012
Views: 3072
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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