National Numismatic Collection - Introduction
The National Numismatic Collection (NNC) of the Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest numismatic collections in the world and the largest in North America. With over 1.6 millioin objects, the NNC contains many great rarities in coins and currency, from the earliest coins created 2,700 years ago up to the latest innovations in electronic monetary exchange, as well as fascinating objects such as beads, wampum, dentalia, and other commodities once used as money.
The collection emphasizes the development of money and medals in the United States. The core of the U.S. collection, consisting of more than 18,000 items, including coins of great rarity, came to the Smithsonian in 1923 from the United States Mint. Exceptional rarities include the Brasher half doubloon, the 1849 double eagle (first of the gold 20 dollar pieces), and two 1877 fifty dollar patterns. Other rarities are include the 1913 Liberty head nickel as well as all three types of the 1804 dollar, and two of three known examples of the world's most valuable coin, the 1933 double eagle, the third of which recently sold for 7.6 million dollars. Learn more about the collection.
Below you will find a selection of over 350 objects from the collection. We are working to expand and improve online access to additional objects in the near future, so stay tuned.
"National Numismatic Collection - Introduction" showing 194 items.
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United States, Five Dollars, Proof, 1826
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below. Two proof half eagles are known from this year.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1826
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0206
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0206
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Five Dollars, Proof, 1828
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below. Only two proof half eagles are known with a perfect 1828 date. This is one. Add the known number of surviving strikes for regular circulation and there is still a total of only eight coins!
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1828
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0217
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0217
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Five Dollars, Proof, 1829
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below. The 1829 half eagle comes in two types, large-module, struck before the introduction of the restraining collar, and small-module, struck afterwards. One proof is known for the first category, three for the second. The Smithsonian proof is from the second group. The most obvious way of distinguishing the two types is by means of the date. The date is large on Type 2, much smaller on Type 2.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1829
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1988.0063.0059
- catalog number
- 1988.0063.0059
- accession number
- 1988.0063
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Two and a Half Dollars, Proof, 1829
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below. This 1829 proof quarter eagle introduces us to a modified coining technique and to a slightly modified design. The coin (and its multiple, the half eagle) would henceforth be struck using a one-piece, "close" collar. Also, a third die whose vertical striations produced the familiar "reeded" edge we still see on coins today.
- Striking the quarter and half eagles in a collar resulted in better metal flow and sharper detail. But it also required modest changes in the obverse and reverse designs. The work was carried out by William Kneass. As many as a dozen 1829 proof quarter eagles including this one may exist. Most have been damaged by handling.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1829
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0223
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0223
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United United States, Two and a Half Dollars, Proof, 1831
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below. In 1831, designer William Kneass extended his work (and the Mint its close collar) to quarter eagles in addition to half eagles. This Smithsonian 1831 proof quarter eagle and seven others are known.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1831
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0236
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0236
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Two and a Half Dollars, Proof, 1833
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below. No more than five proof quarter eagles, including this one, have survived from the 1833 coinage.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1833
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0251
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0251
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Five Dollars, Proof, 1834
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Head of Liberty facing left, hair bound with a fillet, stars surrounding, date below. Reverse: Eagle, denomination. William Kneass was responsible for a new and altogether charming version of the Liberty head, employed on half and quarter eagles during the second half of the 1830s. For the first time since the 1790s, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was absent from the half eagle and its smaller relative. This was to distinguish the new coins from earlier ones. The older coins were now worth more than their stated value and were being exported and melted. Including this coin, eight proofs of the new 1834 half eagle are recorded. Collectors call this design the "Classic Head".
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1834
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0259
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0259
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Two and a Half Dollars, Proof, 1834
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped head of Liberty facing left, stars around, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination below.
- Four proof specimens including this coin are known to exist. A fifth proof is rumored to exist. Some 1834 proof coins were created for presentation to foreign dignitaries. The most famous example of a presentation coin for diplomatic purposes was the so-called "King of Coins" among the 1804 Silver Dollars. Silver dollars dated 1804 were simply not issued for circulation. Silver dollars with that date were produced during the 1830's and 1850's for various purposes.
- If nothing else, the minting of special coins for presentation abroad suggests that, after years of isolation, the United States was now beginning to take its place in the family of nations. U.S. Coins struck with special care as well as Peace Medals were excellent tokens of friendship.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1834
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0260
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0260
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Fifty Cents, Proof, 1834
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Capped bust of Liberty facing left, stars at either side, date below. Reverse: Eagle, motto above, denomination (50 C.) below. John Reich was responsible for the basic designs, which remained in use between 1807 and 1836. Coins with these designs are among the most common of early American coins, and they formed the backbone of our monetary supply for many years.
- This coin is anything but common, however. It is a proof "restrike," a coin created from original dies but struck at a later date. This half dollar, and similar proofs dated 1833 and 1835, appear to have been minted towards the end of 1836. They may have been produced for presentation or even for sale. Approximately five proof half dollars dated 1834 are known.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1834
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1985.0441.0261
- catalog number
- 1985.0441.0261
- accession number
- 1985.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
United States, Five Dollars, Proof, 1835
- Description
- United States Mint, Philadelphia. Obverse: Head of Liberty facing left, hair bound with a fillet, stars surrounding, date below. Reverse: Eagle, denomination. This is one of two 1835 proof half eagles that appear to have been struck for presentation abroad. However, they seem to have been dispersed in the United States.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1835
- mint
- U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
- ID Number
- 1991.0357.0013
- catalog number
- 1991.0357.0013
- accession number
- 1991.0357
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center