Image: Smithsonian Institution The Flowing Hair Dollar was struck for only two years. During the first year of production, there were initially 2,000 coins struck. Of that number, 242 coins were not released, but melted due to low quality. This scant mintage of 1,758 coins released was followed by greater production in the second and [...]

Both years of the Flowing Hair Silver Dollar were struck on planchets with the composition specified in the Coinage Act of 1792. This consisted of a fineness of .8924 and a weight of 416 grains of silver. Because of the primitive methods of producing the planchets, the diameter differs from coin to coin, usually determined [...]