With this inaugural Look Into the Past, we look at the coins that were produced in 1900, a century ago. Back then was the "Barber Era", or so I dub it. Four of the six denominations were designed by Charles E. Barber. Only the penny and dollar were not.

First, we encounter the most famous cent of U.S. history, the Indian Head penny. Featuring a wreath on the reverse, the coin’s obverse was that of an Indian princess. It is not known for sure if this profile was made of a specific person or if it was an artist’s conception. Designed by James B. Longacre, the coin was minted from 1859-1909.

Next, the nickel was the first of the Barber coins. The obverse was a depiction of Miss Liberty looking left and was more polygonal than the other Barber coins. The Liberty-Head nickel had a wreath on its reverse, surrounding a large "V", or the Roman numeral for "5", telling of its value. The coin was minted from 1883-1913.

Moving on, we get to the dime, featuring the obverse that became famous as the Barber obverse. Again, Miss Liberty appeared on the coin, but this time she faced to the right and lacks a crown. Instead, she had a wreath and a cap. This design was considerably more rounded than the nickel’s. Also, thirteen six-pointed stars bordered the design. Again, the reverse featured a wreath, this time surrounding only the words "ONE DIME". The coin was minted from 1892-1916.

The Barber quarter is next in line. With the Barber obverse, this quarter had the mandatory heraldic eagle on the reverse. The wings were spread out to the sides rather than up, and a field of thirteen stars showed at the top. The coin was minted from 1892-1916.

The last of the Barber obverses appeared on the half-dollar. Both the obverse and reverse of this coin were the same as the quarter. The coin was minted from 1892-1915.

The last coin from 1900 is the Morgan Dollar. It is perhaps the most famous U.S. coin ever minted. This is because of its beautiful and detailed profile of Miss Liberty. The Morgan Dollar had exquisite art work on both sides, the reverse featuring a wreath under a heraldic eagle with its wings pointing up. Even the lettering of "In God We Trust" was printed in old-English format. Designed by George T. Morgan, the coin was minted from 1878-1904, and again in 1921.

Coins have changed a lot from a century ago. From style to designer to genre to composition, modern coins are truly that- modern. But it’s hard to think that anyone will ever forget the beautiful coins from the turn of the century in 1900.

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