When did the term "Keg Marks" go out of style when describing Large Cents?
RLSnapper
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I was reading through the Stacks Herman Halpern sale of Large Cents from 1988 and it occurred to me that a few of the descriptions use the term "Keg Marks" to describe small hits to otherwise high mint state coins. I checked a few other catalogues and it seems that whoever was writing up lots for Stacks really enjoyed using that term.
Since we all use the term "Bag Marks" to describe hits on Mint State Morgans this term seems appropriate for Mint State Large Cents. Those kegs were big! https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1051783/how-many-large-cents-were-in-a-mint-keg
I don't recall this term being used today. Should we return to its use? Comments?
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Comments
I use the term "contact marks" because you can never be totally certain where marks came from.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Agreed, but for the rare instances in which you can be certain - such as when you open a sealed bag of Morgan dollars.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Agree but I've often wondered wonder how many original sealed bags of Morgan silver dollars still exist if any. I doubt any original kegs of large cents still exist. The Randall hoard was probably the last.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
"Keg marks" would be a better marketing term as emanating from original Mint distribution.
A contact mark could appear at any time.
Interesting to hear from an EAC member if a keg mark can even be definitively determined.
I would think if you could definitively trace your MS 1816-1820 cent to the Randall hoard those marks would be from banging around in a keg.
Why? Because they weren’t released for circulation, and weren’t even discovered until years after small cents were being issued and used. Certainly a few could have been mishandled; but many were dispersed by Edward Cogan in his auctions, to knowledgeable collectors and dealers, who likely handled them with proper care.
Certainly a valid term for the period and source (if source could be validated) since cents were shipped in kegs. No definitive method of authenticating marks on large cents now, or since removal from said kegs. Cheers, RickO