Robert York

Coins say a great deal about the societies from which they originate. Moses Finley, who wrote a book called The Ancient Economy about the economy of ancient Rome, declared that coins are, in essence, propaganda. And to be honest, that declaration does have some merit. But coins can also tell us about a society’s wealth, social values, and cherished leaders.

The coins in the pictures say different things.

Each of them declares “LIBERTY,” right on the front, cresting the figures of the presidents, whose faces are portrayed in the manner of busts. This leaves little wonder as to what the United States supposedly values most as a society. Also etched into each of the coins is the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST,” which is placed below the chins of the presidents: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the dime), George Washington (the quarter), and John F. Kennedy (the half-dollar). The phrase is indicative of American social values in the period of time denoted by the coins’ dates (1952 – 1976) as recognized by the authority that minted the coins.

The dates of the coins are positioned below the president’s necks, and their mint marks (D and P) denote their places of origin. The date on the half dollar that is to the left is unique from the other coins in that there are two dates – 1776 and 1976. If future archaeologists were to find these coins, then maybe they’d imagine that there’s something special about these dates.

On the back of the coins the imagery begins to diverge. On the back of the dime is a torch, an oak branch and an olive branch. Upon the back of the quarter is an eagle with downcast wings, gripping a bundle of arrows and spreading itself over a wreath of olive branches. On the back of the half dollar to the right is a more aggressive looking eagle, bearing a shield, arrows and an olive branch. It is circled by fifty stars. The second half dollar is different. On the back is an image of Independence Hall and the unique phrase “200 YEARS OF FREEDOM.”

Common to the reverse sides of each of these coins are the phrases “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and the denomination of the coin.

What could a future generation tell by observing these coins? What if they knew nothing about America except what they could glean from these coins? They’d know the faces of three American presidents; they’d know some of our most pervasive symbols and phrases, and if they’re speculatively able to comprehend English, then they’ll receive a glance at our social mores and values; and they’d know certain dates that our society was around, and even one date (1776) that must have been of importance to our nation’s “freedom.”

Although these coins are very similar in appearance, the ones on the right deviate from the ones on the left in a very important way. The ones on the right are made out of 90% (40% in the case of the half dollar) silver. The ones on the left contain no silver, although they aren’t that much older. What would these coins tell a future society about our civilization? What can they tell us about how we perceive ourselves as a nation and a society? What can they tell us about where we’ve been, and where we’re going?

I collected these at work. I work at a grocery store.