Messed with Morgan?
ChangeInHistory
Posts: 3,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
I ran across this Morgan dollar and noticed there are sections around the portrait that have some odd luster. The areas just above her cap, behind her neck, in front of her eyes/nose, and under her chin/in front of her neck have a different luster- sort of has the reflectivity of a wheel mark. Nothing like this on the reverse. Was this a poor attempt to improve the luster, or something else? Just an educational thread, not looking to purchase or anything.
1
Comments
I think what you are seeing is die erosion.
Here is an image from coinfacts that shows the same thing if I understand what you are asking.
An area of the die that was polished to remove a clash.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
That is where the mint employees polished off die clashing to extend the life of the dies.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
I agree with the die polishing assessment. Cheers, RickO
+1
A not un-wholesome 62 than can be dipped at least once more. That polishing effect is not considered a technical defect even when it shows up in patches in the middle of a field.
You're seeing the texture change from early strike "fuzzy frost" dies to late stage refurbished dies, the use of which Mint employees were trying to extend.
I've seen many 1889-O's that came off dies so thoroughly polished that the resultant coins could reflect in a manner mimicking a whizzed one. Never fools me, but after 45 years I still blink at first arms-length glance.
Not the same effect as for the OP's coins. Different situation; my intended resonance is with the startling and jarring visual dissonance at the instant of apperception. There seem endless interesting and confusing things that occur when someone not so skilled as @McGyver gets involved in the quick-and-dirty fixes needed to keep pushing those standardized silver discs" off the floor and out the door".
I'm not seeing it.
A very informative thread.
Never noticed that on a Morgan before - something more to look out for.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Thanks all for the explanations and examples, another reason I like this forum.