Stella (United States coin)
United States | |
| Value | 4 United States dollars |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 22 mm |
| Edge | reeded |
| Composition | 85.7% gold, 4.3% silver, 10% copper |
| Years of minting | 1879–1880 |
| Mint marks | None, all were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Liberty with flowing hair |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
| Design date | 1879 |
| Design | Liberty with coiled hair |
| Designer | George T. Morgan |
| Design date | 1879 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Star |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
| Design date | 1879 |
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The United States four dollar coin, also officially called a Stella, is a unit of currency equivalent to four United States dollars.
It was originally minted as a coin tied to
Liberty with flowing hair, designed by Charles E. Barber, and with coiled hair, designed by George T. Morgan.[1] The flowing hair variety is the most commonly seen variety. Even though the coin was designed as a pattern coin,[2] similar to the Gobrecht dollar
, many catalogs list the coin as a regular-issue item.
History
The Stella was a
Napoleon minted in France, Switzerland
, and other LMU countries. However, the composition and weight of the Stella was not a precise match to the LMU standard: the total weight was 7 grams (rather than 6.45 grams), the gold content was 6 grams of fine gold (rather than 5.81 grams), and the coins were only .857 fine (rather than .900).
Two different designs obverse were produced: one with flowing hair; in the other the hair is coiled. Both bear the same inscription: "★6★
★
" is used) to indicate the metallic content of the coin, and the date.
The reverse star had the inscriptions ONE STELLA and 400 CENTS, while the reverse rim had the legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and FOUR DOL., and circling the star but between its points were the legends E PLURIBUS UNUM ("Out of many, one") and DEO EST GLORIA ("To God is the glory").
The coin and the prospect of joining the Latin Monetary Union were rejected by
bordellos.[citation needed
]
1879 Quintuple Stella Pattern
Five examples of a pattern quintuple stella denominated at 20 dollars were produced in 1879 as well. These coins used a modified version of the then-current Liberty Head (Coronet) design of the
IN GOD WE TRUST on the reverse with the same DEO EST GLORIA found on the reverse of the stella.[5]
Only 425 examples of the Stella were made. All 1880 coins are rare; 25 examples are known.[6]
References
- ^ Yeoman, R. S.; Bressett, Kenneth; Garrett, Jeff; Bowers, Q. David (2019). A Guide Book of United States Coins (72nd ed.). Pelham, AL: Whitman Publishing. p. 274.
- ^ "The Four-Dollar Stella". NGCCoin.com. Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Coin of the Week: Discovered Flowing Hair Stella". Coinagemag.com. COINage Magazine. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Rare gold coin from 1880 sells for $2.75M at auction". FoxNews.com. Fox News Network, LLC. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Classic US Coins – Gold Stella $4 Coin Goes to Auction". CoinWeek.com. CoinWeek, LLC. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ Yeoman, R. S.; Bressett, Kenneth; Garrett, Jeff; Bowers, Q. David (2019). A Guide Book of United States Coins (72nd ed.). Pelham, AL: Whitman Publishing. p. 274.
