United States Silver Presidential Coin Set

This vintage 20th century United States Silver Presidential Coin Set features 5 different coins that honor past U.S. presidents, including the Abraham Lincoln cent, Thomas Jefferson nickel, Franklin D. Roosevelt dime, George Washington quarter, and John F. Kennedy half dollar. The coins in this collection were hand-selected by professional numismatists after screening thousands of coins for quality and eye-appeal.

Each of the 4 largest denominations were minted using a silver alloy. No cents were ever struck in silver, but the 1943 steel cent issued during WWII is the only cent with a similar appearance. Due to rising bullion prices, silver was removed entirely from all circulating coins after 1970, rendering the coins in this collection relics of a bygone era in American history. Housed in a luxurious mahogany-colored wood box lined in velvet and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, the coins are guaranteed to be both genuine and in lightly circulated condition commensurate with their age. Each set is uniquely assembled to order but will match the quality of the coins shown.

Note: Pair this set with the President Eisenhower Silver Dollar, another Touch of Modern Exclusive, to complete your collection of United States presidential coins.

Steel Lincoln Wheat Cent
The Lincoln cent is an enduring American classic produced for the past 112 years, making it the longest running United States coin design in existence, albeit with modification. The Mint commissioned Victor D. Brenner in January of 1909 to design a one cent coin honoring Abraham Lincoln on the centennial of his birth. This marked the first widely circulating U.S. coin to feature the likeness of a President, as this concept had previously been considered too monarchical, particularly by George Washington.

The obverse featured a bust of Lincoln, while the reverse depicted two stalks of wheat, representing staples of the U.S. economy, flanking the denomination. Brenner’s revolutionary design was approved, and the new coins were released to the public on August 2nd, 1909 with much fanfare. Like the outgoing Indian cent, the new Lincoln cent was composed primarily of copper. However, copper became a critical military resource during World War II, so the U.S. government decided to divert the copper reserves used for manufacturing Lincoln cents to aid the war efforts. At the height of the war in 1943 and with no better options, the U.S. Mint decided to produce the one cent coin in a zinc-plated steel composition as an emergency measure for one year only, with resumption of the ordinary copper composition in 1944. The Lincoln cent continued to feature the wheat stalk reverse until the sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s birth in 1959, at which point a new reverse depicting the Lincoln Memorial was introduced. This set includes a WWII emergency-issue 1943 Lincoln cent struck in zinc-plated steel.

Silver Jefferson Nickel
Thomas Jefferson first appeared on circulating U.S. coinage in 1938 and has continued to do so for over 80 years. The Jefferson nickel was designed by German-American sculptor Felix Schlag, who was awarded a $1,000 prize in April of 1938 when his model was selected among those submitted by 390 contestants. Schlag’s portrait of Jefferson was based on a marble bust by famed French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.

The Jefferson nickel features the left-facing president dressed in a coat of the period and wearing a peruke wig. On the reverse is a front elevation of Jefferson’s home, with the name MONTICELLO beneath it. The novelty of the Jefferson Nickel caused most examples to be saved by a curious public during its first few years, and the coin was not a familiar sight in circulation until about 1940. Shortly thereafter, the onset of World War II prompted the rationing of many commodities, including nickel, which was highly valued for use in armor plating.

Congress ordered the removal of this metal from the five-cent piece, effective October 8, 1942. From that date until the end of 1945, five-cent pieces bore the regular design but were minted from an alloy of silver, copper, and manganese. These emergency coins were to be withdrawn from circulation after the war, so a prominent distinguishing feature was added. Coins from all three mints bore large mintmarks above the dome of Monticello, and the letter ‘P’ was used as a mintmark for Philadelphia for the first time. These “war nickels” proved quite satisfactory in circulation and were not immediately withdrawn. Instead, they remained a familiar sight until the mid-1960s, when rising silver prices caused them to be hoarded for their bullion value. Jefferson nickel production continues today in its original 1938 composition, albeit with several design modifications in recent years to modernize our nation’s coinage. This set includes a WWII emergency-issue Jefferson nickel struck in silver between 1942 and 1945.

Silver Roosevelt Dime
A central figure in world events during the first half of the 20th century, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in office on April 12th, 1945. As the country mourned its fallen leader, the American public was eager to memorialize Roosevelt in some significant way. Within the Treasury Department, plans were quickly laid for the introduction of coin to honor Roosevelt. Since the late president had been afflicted with polio, the dime was chosen to bear his portrait— a testament to the “March of Dimes” fundraising campaign to end Polio that began during Roosevelt’s first term.

Since 2002, Kennedy half dollars have only been struck in small quantities and sold to collectors at a premium. They are seldom encountered in circulation and have become one of the most widely collected coins in U.S. history. This set includes an early example of the Kennedy half dollar struck in 40% silver between 1965 and 1970.