Celebrate Weights Day with coins
Release time:2023-05-18
trade dollar is a 19th-century American silver coin with a weight inscription and is the best numismatic coin to commemorate the Day of Weights and Measures. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
Did you know that May 20 is Weights and Measures Day? If you're involved in the world of scales and measurement standards, you've probably become at least somewhat aware of this annual festival, during which we recognize the history of international trade and the weighing systems that make it possible.
Think about it... Much of the world economy is based on standardization of the weight and size of the goods we ship around the world. We Americans use a range of measurement methods based on the imperial system, while most countries in the world use the metric system. However, we can easily convert these differences in weight, size, mass, and volume, thanks to putting all these standardized people, organizations, and ideas in place.
We in the numismatic world must at least adopt a passive understanding of all this, because we deal with coin-related terms such as millimeters, inches, grams, grains, and ounces in a hobby field. There are so many coins involved in these elements. But one of the classics is the American Trade Dollar, a coin from the late 19th century that was produced primarily for international trade within Asia.
The trade dollar was produced from 1873 to 1885, minting a circulation edition only during the first 6 calendar years of the series, and the last years of this silver coin were represented only by the pattern. You will notice that the trade dollar clearly indicates its weight ... The back shows the weight of the coin and the composition of the silver, which reads "420 grains." 900 Refined". The coin weighs a total of 27.2 grams, equivalent to 420 grains – an early unit of measurement that is often recognized and translates into a system of constant and troy measurement. For those who have been paying attention to the weight associated with trade coins, each standard weight specimen contains 0.7874 ounces of silver.
While trade dollars are still widely collected today, many of these coins are quite scarce – especially at the better grades. The price of a typical circulating specimen ranges from $350 to $500, while uncirculated specimens typically require significantly higher or $1,000. In addition to serving as a fitting piece to commemorate Weights and Measures Day, Trade Dollar is a fantastic coin included in the genre set or Trade Dollar collection, each of which is available in the popular (and free!) PCGS set is collected in the register.
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