The American twenty-cent piece was a coin struck from 1875 to 1878, but only for collectors in the final two years. Proposed by Nevada Senator John P. Jones, it ultimately proved to be a failure due to its confusion with the quarter. The twenty-cent piece was close in both size and value to the quarter, leading to mix-ups. Here are some key points about this intriguing coin:

1. Inception and Authorization:
   • A twenty-cent piece had been proposed as early as 1791 and again in 1806, but both attempts were rejected.
   • Americans were already familiar with the denomination due to the Spanish two reales piece, which passed for twenty cents in the United States.
   • In the 1870s, there was a shortage of small change in the far West, where base-metal coins did not circulate.
2. Design and Confusion:
   • The twenty-cent piece was designed with an obverse (heads) and reverse similar to other silver coins.
   • Despite having a smooth edge (unlike reeded edges on other silver coins), it was immediately confused with the quarter due to its size and similarity in design.
   • After the first year, during which over a million were minted, there was little demand, and the denomination was abolished in 1878.
3. Collectibility and Rarity:
   • The 1878 Twenty-Cent piece is a Proof-only final year issue.
   • It is considered scarce, popular, and valuable, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 in high grades¹².
   • The total mintage was relatively low, and at least a third of the coins were later melted by the government.

In numismatic history, the twenty-cent piece remains a fascinating chapter that closed almost before it began¹

Source: BingAI

In 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony joined forces to establish the American Equal Rights Association (AERA). This organization aimed to secure equal rights for all American citizens, particularly focusing on the right to suffrage, regardless of race, color, or sex¹². The AERA emerged during the Eleventh National Woman’s Rights Convention held on May 10, 1866. Its mission was to advocate for universal suffrage, uniting both white and black women and men in this cause².

However, the AERA faced challenges. In 1867, during the Kansas campaign, the state voted against separate referenda granting suffrage to both blacks and women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony had accepted the help of a known racist during this campaign, which led to tensions within the organization. AERA president Lucretia Mott was also alienated by this decision. Later, in 1870, Stanton and Anthony expressed their dissatisfaction with the wording and passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, which focused on black men’s suffrage but ignored women’s rights. They urged the AERA to support a 16th amendment that would grant women the right to vote. However, more cautious leaders within the AERA declined this proposal. Consequently, Stanton and Anthony left the AERA in May 1869 to form the exclusively female National Woman Suffrage Association. Meanwhile, other conservative feminists, including Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe, established the American Woman Suffrage Association from the remnants of the AERA in November 1869. Eventually, these two groups merged into the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1890¹.

Caroline Maria Seymour Severance, another prominent reformer and clubwoman, played an active role in woman suffrage and other women’s issues during this period¹.

Source: AIBing