Lewis Adelbert Hadley (1870-1951) Coin Album
The 1870 Three-Cent Nickel mimics the 1869, as both have similar mintages and nearly identical populations and grade distributions among the coins graded by PCGS. The most frequently-seen grade is MS-64, just slightly ahead of MS-63. The finest examples are fifteen at the MS66 level. Clash-marks are less frequent on this date than they are on the 1869, but the strike is equally as nice. Collectors should attempt to find examples that show as many of the vertical lines as possible on the reverse.
The 1870 Dime is a common coin, though it is not nearly as plentiful as some of the other large-mintage dates of later years. Nonetheless, it is an affordable date in most grades. The typical Mint State 1870 Dime is MS63, with MS64 a close second. Gems are available -- for a price - but none are known in MS67. Gerry Fortin, who specializes in Liberty Seated Dimes, has identified six different die pairs (actually seven, but one [F-102] appears to have been delisted). One die pair is Proof-only, another was used to strike both Proofs and Mint State examples.
At 633,900 coins, the 1870 Half Dollar has just a slightly lower mintage than the 1869-S of the previous year. However, because it was from an Eastern Mint, the 1870 Half Dollar is much more common in most grades. In Mint State, the 1870 is slightly more common than the 1869-S but usually sells for much less, making it seem like an excellent value. The initial quality of the 1870 Half Dollars was good. The luster is usually frosty, bagmarks are minimal, and the strike is strong, if not full. All in all, this is a great representative of the With Motto type.