For my blog this week I am questions from a coin quiz I
wrote 25 years ago for Rare Coin Review #107 in 1995. As opposed to asking
questions about famous and rare coins, it deals with coins that are quite
affordable, but at the same time are numismatically interesting.
1. Among Indian cents a prize can be given to the 1877 for
being the most famous rarity, or to the 1909-S for its low mintage of only
309,000 coins, or for the 1864 with L on ribbon for being in the spotlight for
a long time. In contrast is this Indian cent – the only one with a production
figure of over 100 million pieces. It is:
a. 1895
b. 1859
c. 1907
d. 1904
2. In terms of classic commemorative half dollars available
today, this one is the most plentiful:
a. 1922 Grant No Star.
b. 1915-S Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
c. 1926-S Oregon Trail.
d. 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
3. In terms of 19th-century nickel five-cent
pieces available today in Mint State, this one is the most plentiful:
a. 1883 Shield.
b. 1883 Liberty without CENTS.
c. 1878 Shield.
d. 1883 Liberty with CENTS.
4. If you collect trade dollars – and what a historical
series this is! – then you won’t have to look far to find which one of the
following four coins?
a. Mint State 1876-CC.
b. Mint State 1878-CC.
c. Mint State 1878-S.
d. Proof 1884.
5. Among early American coins, which of the following is one
of the issues most often seen in Mint State?
a. 1773 Virginia halfpenny.
b. 1787 Bust Left Vermont copper. Ryder 15
c. 1783 GEORGIUS TRIUMPHO token.
d. 1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 56-n.
Answers: 1-c; 2-d; 3-b; 4-c; 5-a.
