Question about Stellas

RYK

The current Superior and Heritage sales both feature a Stella (one is the sole coin on the front cover of the Superior catalog). Both coins offered have a series of parallel lines across the portrait, horizontal in direction on this Heritage example. I have vanishingly little firsthand Stella experience, but perhaps forum members who have a Stella (or two) at home can comment. The lines seem a little thick to be die polish, and I would be surprised if they were adjustment marks. Are these commonly seen in Stellas? What are they? I know when I get my next Stella, I hope to get one without these marks.

Longacre

Mine are at home. Let me check tonight and come back to you.

BlindedByEgo

"Although we have no knowledge of any pieces being tested for purity, it is believed that all four-dollar gold pieces were produced of standard 900 fine gold. Because the planchet stock was reduced in thickness, fine parallel grooves remained in the surface of planchets cut from this stock, and these are visible to some degree on all known examples. Such grooves or striations are visible on both sides of this example, for instance."

Is this sufficient? Seems plausible to me.

Conder101

Yep, the lines were on the planchet when the coins were struck. If you look at the obverse of the coin in the Heritage link you will see that the lines are at their strongest on the highest parts of the devices where the striking pressure was weakest. And if you follow the lines out into the right obverse field you will see that they continue all the way out toward the rim but are mostly wiped out by the strike. If the lines were the result of polishing of the dies or something like that they would be stronger on the high parts of the dies, which would be the fields, and weak on the devices. Just the opposite of what is seen on the coins. Adjustment marks made to the planchet before strking would almost certainly not be all even and parallel. If done after striking they would be much harsher than they are.

So since the planchets had the lines before striking you will have to locatea very sharply struck piece.