Differences between pre/post 1828 dimes

tjkillian

What caused dimes in post-1828 era to be of uniform diameter? Were those closed collar and those pre-1828 open collar? Were the former minted on steam presses? I thought that the reeded edge half dollars were the first on a closed collar/steam presses.

Tom

JrGMan2004

Actually... Half-Dimes were the first to use closed collars in 1829, the other coins started using closed collars in later years... and I'll guarentee you they aren't a uniform diameter... just pretty close There is one die collar that was used for the Half-Dimes, and coins struck in that collar won't fit into any commercial plastic holder because the diameter is so much greater than any other Capped Bust Half-Dimes...

tjkillian

TTT

Tom

JrGMan2004

If I didn't say it before... yes, the reason for the difference is because of being open collared in the earlier issues... the diameters in the later dates are more uniform, though not completely so because there were different collar dies...

Barry

Tom,
According to the JRCS book, the diameters were never uniform. From 1827 to 1832, diameters got smaller, and from 1834-37, they got larger again. There is a graph in the appendix (lots of good info in the appendices I never noticed before!) that shows it in detail. ACcording to the authors, there was no significant change in diameter of dimes during the transition from open to closed collar (1827-8 for dimes) as there was with quarters (1831).

uncleb

<< <i>According to the JRCS book, the diameters were never uniform. >>



Something that makers of coin albums refuse to recognize.

The new research into the subject indicates that the proper name for the device is "close collar." It may have articulated in concert with the downstroke of the hammer die. The theory that the dimes' reeding from this period were produced with castaing machines is also waning, which brings into question exactly what the "open collar" was.