Strange looking Lincoln Prez Proof

frnklnlvr · February 19, 2010 7:49PM

This was in one of the proof sets I got yesterday. It has these odd looking concentric circles. The reverse looks normal. Any idea what this is or what caused it?

JimDepot · February 19, 2010 8:18PM

I like it, no idea how it happened.

Marauderrt10 · February 19, 2010 8:21PM

looks like something with the dies.

Manorcourtman · February 19, 2010 8:34PM

Wow! Cool coin, looks like it was made to look that way from the Mint?

ricko · February 19, 2010 9:29PM

What does the reverse look like? Cheers, RickO

gonzer · February 19, 2010 10:03PM

Possibly something occurred during the galvano transfer?

mas3387 · February 19, 2010 10:46PM

We have a few of them as well

coinkid855 · February 19, 2010 10:57PM

I'd say the mint polished the dies a bit too hard...

-Paul

myth · February 19, 2010 11:04PM

hypnotized

ClosedLoop · February 19, 2010 11:07PM

looks like some kind of orange peel effect,pretty cool.

Hyperion · February 19, 2010 11:12PM

"target toning"

notwilight · February 19, 2010 11:15PM

Looks like the die is galled. Either it heated up very hot or it was subjected to very high stresses (forces). Either way, it happened wile it was rotating. perhaps the polishing tip came off the polishing machine and the die was spun against the mandrel. --Jerry

19Lyds · February 20, 2010 12:54AM

Those are (appear to be) lathe marks from a specific machining process during the die making process at the US Mint.

I recently read an article regarding these and a Jefferson Nickel but for the life of me cannot find it!

Although not a proof coin there is a similar thread over on the CONECA Die Variety Forum.

Since more than one has shown up, you can bet that an article will appear in another month or so at one of the big magazines explaining it.

In the mean time, I'll keep looking.

NOTE: DUE TO revealed events it has been shown that its the Plastic Holder which is showing these lines. I edited my post to add (appear to be) vs a positive "Those are". Lathe marks are a real error which can occur.

19Lyds · February 20, 2010 1:11AM

I found an article on the CONECA home page referencing a business strike 1996-D Lincoln cent.

Hubs/Dies are created from steel rods which are cut and then machined so that the end receiving the impression of the coin is cut with a slight conical surface.
This is where the lathe comes into play and what produces these lines.

I would think that finding them on a Proof Coin much less a Lincoln Proof would be unusual.

Gemineye · February 20, 2010 1:18AM

Any way you look at it it's

....I like it ...

Swampboy · February 20, 2010 1:57AM

Abe in the Twighlight Zone Variety.

Extremely cool.

mas3387 · February 20, 2010 3:05AM

So would this be considered a mint error - struck with unfinished dies?

JamesMurray · February 20, 2010 3:11AM

<< Abe in the Twighlight Zone Variety.

Extremely cool.

>>

Abe of the Looney toons variety maybe ?

JimDepot · February 20, 2010 3:18AM

Cool, received 10 sets today. Found one out of 10.

Not as evident as the one pictured, but glad to find one.

JimDepot · February 20, 2010 4:03AM

If one looks long enough, his tie does start to spin.

Same coin moved about 1/4 inch for the light.

mas3387 · February 20, 2010 4:06AM

I tried to take pic's of ours but it is not easy!!!! I'll try again a bit later

JimDepot · February 20, 2010 4:46AM

How about a weak eyes Lincoln.

From the same box of ten sets.

MsMorrisine · February 20, 2010 4:54AM

I like it.

can't wait to see if it is attributed.

now I'm sad that I cancelled my order so I could combine it with others to save on shipping...

mas3387 · February 20, 2010 5:09AM

Ok, here we go with our pic's - Sorry for the lighting, couldn't seem to capture any other way

Also found one of these

Franklin Pierce

grip · February 20, 2010 5:27AM

About ten years ago I found one in roll searching.There very hard to photograph/or scan.

JimDepot · February 20, 2010 5:33AM

Much harder to see but found a Millard Fillmore with the same rings.

mas3387 · February 20, 2010 5:38AM

Sounds like it's spreading through out the proof set!!!!

frnklnlvr · February 20, 2010 8:10AM

<< What does the reverse look like? Cheers, RickO >>

The reverse looks normal on my coin.

Thanks for the links and the explanation Lee!

grip · February 20, 2010 9:43AM

<< 

<< What does the reverse look like? Cheers, RickO >>

The reverse looks normal on my coin.

Thanks for the links and the explanation Lee! >>

Ditto.

08HALA20 · February 20, 2010 10:33AM

Did anyone take the coin out of the plastic?

I just received my 12 sets and found all 4 of them looking this way.
One of the lincolns looked worse so I removed it from the plastic and will put in my Dansco.
It was clean. the markings I think are on the plastic.

Could someone verify thier coins?

Rookie Joe

errormaven · February 20, 2010 12:26PM

I've never seen anything like it. The concentric rings look too irregular to be concentric lathe marks. Perhaps a screw-up during polishing?

WoodenJefferson · February 20, 2010 12:48PM

Quality control would never allow a coin die in this condition to be installed into a proof coining press. This anomaly must be occurring during the striking procedure, what that is, I'm not quite sure. "Chatter" comes to mind.

08HALA20 · February 20, 2010 2:05PM

Here is a pic of the capsule: the best that I could take

What do you think?

The concentric circles look the same.

Joe

notwilight · February 20, 2010 2:15PM

<< Quality control would never allow a coin die in this condition to be installed into a proof coining press. This anomaly must be occurring during the striking procedure, what that is, I'm not quite sure. "Chatter" comes to mind. >>

Exactly how does "quality control" work? --Jerry

WoodenJefferson · February 20, 2010 2:43PM

<< 

<< Quality control would never allow a coin die in this condition to be installed into a proof coining press. This anomaly must be occurring during the striking procedure, what that is, I'm not quite sure. "Chatter" comes to mind. >>

Exactly how does "quality control" work? --Jerry >>

With the Mint..."randomly"

Looks like the blister pack is the culprit.

19Lyds · February 20, 2010 3:50PM

<< 

<< 

<< Quality control would never allow a coin die in this condition to be installed into a proof coining press. This anomaly must be occurring during the striking procedure, what that is, I'm not quite sure. "Chatter" comes to mind. >>

Exactly how does "quality control" work? --Jerry >>

With the Mint..."randomly"

Looks like the blister pack is the culprit. >>

well horse on me!

JimDepot · February 20, 2010 4:48PM

Dang, "Buy the coin, not the plastic".

frnklnlvr · February 20, 2010 7:37PM

Wow! I guess it is the plastic. It's strange how the circles are only visible in the fields though.

DorkGirl · February 20, 2010 9:22PM

<< Dang, "Buy the coin, not the plastic".

>>

mas3387 · February 20, 2010 9:55PM

OOPS!!!!

MsMorrisine · February 25, 2010 5:07AM

<< OOPS!!!!

>>

ooops is right.

I was happy to receive mine and find some like this.

It is strange that the rings appear over the fields.

These sets seem to have fewer spots than last year, however there are more marks on them.

chucknra · February 25, 2010 5:42AM

Pretty cool though!

TrustNo1 · February 25, 2010 6:01AM

even though its the plastic, maybe Abe is trying to warn us

Gemineye · February 25, 2010 6:50AM

<< Wow! I guess it is the plastic. It's strange how the circles are only visible in the fields though. >>

....I guess we have a lot to learn....

Artist · February 25, 2010 7:06AM

Although they look like it, I do not think those lines could have happened during the lathing process -

The lathes are used to reduce a large plaster sculpted design to a smaller, steel copy...

For one thing, the size of the grooves in the fields of that coin are too big to be consistent with the detail present in the rest of the devices.

Secondly, the end result of the reduction process is a 'positive' design - this becomes a 'master' that is then pressed into other pieces of steel to create the actual dies used for coining. It is impossible to imagine a mistake like that happening during the lathing process being unnoticed when the dies were made, let alone having such dies go on to make coins.

My best guess is that whatever caused this happened while preparing an individual die.

One possibility, is that lasers were used to render the dies for this issue - the Mint does have this technology, and they do utilize it on occasion, such as on with those wildlife medals that came out around 2004. To my mind, it is conceivable that a laser might have went out of calibration and created the look you are seeing.

19Lyds · February 25, 2010 7:09AM

<< Although they look like it, I do not think those lines could have happened during the lathing process -

The lathes are used to reduce a large plaster sculpted design to a smaller, steel copy...

For one thing, the size of the grooves in the fields of that coin are too big to be consistent with the detail present in the rest of the devices.

Secondly, the end result of the reduction process is a 'positive' design - this becomes a 'master' that is then pressed into other pieces of steel to create the actual dies used for coining. It is impossible to imagine a mistake like that happening during the lathing process being unnoticed when the dies were made, let alone having such dies go on to make coins.

My best guess is that whatever caused this happened while preparing an individual die.

One possibility, is that lasers were used to render the dies for this issue - the Mint does have this technology, and they do utilize it on occasion, such as on with those wildlife medals that came out around 2004. To my mind, it is conceivable that a laser might have went out of calibration and created the look you are seeing. >>

Read the thread.........................the lines are from the cheap plastic holders the US Mint is buying from Chi..............well.........somewhere.

19Lyds · April 5, 2010 7:58AM

I know that these lines have been identified as a problem with the holders, but I wanted to share what lathe lines look like on a proof coin. This one is an Accented Hair Kennedy in an ANACS slab:

Note that the lines only show up on the wings whereas evrything else seems to be just fine.

cmerlo1 · April 5, 2010 8:37AM

This might explain it:

Lincoln

19Lyds · December 10, 2010 10:27AM

The more times I look at that Lincoln............

the more I like the background.

I wonder why the US Mint doesn't consider soemthing like this?

Aspie_Rocco · February 28, 2019 1:30PM

Bump for interesting topic. I wish more pictures had survived. What a wild optical illusion!?

ricko · March 1, 2019 7:20AM

This created quite a stir back nine years ago.... and it all turned out to be a 'tempest in a tea pot'....Too bad the pictures have, for the most part, been lost. Cheers, RickO

Strange looking Lincoln Prez Proof

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