I have decided to talk about a pure silver dime that dates to 1907. I found this coin while working at my summer job, where I was given the task of fixing a mechanical issue in a vending machine.

While I am not a coin collector, I do dedicate a lot of my free time towards understanding United States history, specifically focusing on the Progressive Era. When I found this dime jammed in the coin mechanism of a vending machine, I immediately realized it wasn’t an ordinary dime causing the machine to malfunction. One of the stark differences I immediately noticed was that this dime did not have President Franklin Delano Roosevelt embossed on the head of the coin; rather, a Greek or Roman figure appears on the head of the dime (reference figure 1). I wasn’t sure if this was a common coin design at the turn of the twentieth century, or if I had stumbled upon a diamond in the middle of a haystack. Upon further research, I discovered that the coin was mass produced (3.1 million copies, roughly) in the San Francisco Mint, the same Mint that produced dimes with similar designs from decades earlier, and the coin was designed and approved in 1907 by Charles E. Barber, the sixth Chief Engraver in the United States Mint, hence the name Silver United States Barber Dime (1907-S Barber Dime 1).

Another observation I made was the lack of a Latin inscription on the Barber Dime. In figure 3, I have photographed the back of a dime that was produced in 2000, and if you look closely, the following phrase, E Pluribus Unum, is engraved on the tails side of the dime. This phrase translates from Latin to English as the following: Out of many, one (E Pluribus Unum 1). I found this to be a strange discovery, considering the Latin phrase has been required on all United States coinage since February of 1873 (E Pluribus Unum 1); what is even more perplexing is when I analyzed photographs of the same coin (other copies in mint condition), I still could not identify the Latin phrase. I am under the impression that even though these coins are deemed to be in mint condition, there is the possibility that the inscription slowly faded away over the course of its one hundred and twelve years of existence. The only words which appear on the dime consist of the currency value (ten cents) and the word liberty. I realize from the photo provided in figure 1 it may not be exactly clear where the word liberty appears, but it’s supposed to be engraved in the headpiece that the Greek or Roman figure is wearing on the heads side of the dime.

At the beginning of this assignment, I was concerned that I would not have enough information to analyze. However, to my surprise, after comparing with modern day currency and researching the history of United States coinage, I was able to see stark differences in the way currency was produced at the turn of the twentieth century. After extensive research and analysis, I can say with absolute certainty that I have a new-found appreciation for this dime. While this coin might not flood my mind with wonderful memories like my New York Yankee shirts, I feel like it provides me a small connection to my great grandparents, both of which I never met. Once my great grandparents immigrated to the United States in 1899, this was currency that they most likely used to purchase groceries, clothing, or coal. Unfortunately, my family does not have a significant number of items passed down from their generation, so while this is not a direct family artifact, it still reminds me of my family heritage.

Works Cited

 “1907-S Barber Silver Dime.” Littleton Coin Company, Littleton Coin Company,     https://www.littletoncoin.com/shop/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=29555&r eferralCode=WRB&productId=18058&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_6eGvfSd4AIVgo-            zCh0ifwR2EAQYAiABEgLZI_D_BwE. Accessed 3 February 2019.

“E Pluribus Unum.” United States Department of the Treasury, United States Department of the    Treasury, 30 November 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/about/budget-            performance/strategic-plan/pages/dlinks.aspx. Accessed 3 February 2019.