Almost 1000th post Young Numismatist giveaway - Prizes shipped!

claychaser

Hard to believe that I am approaching 1000 posts already - so I guess it's time for a giveaway!

So here's a contest open to all YN's who have not hit there 17th birthday:

See the images photographed and posted below by eyoung429. Describe what this edge is on the coin - and ignore the diagonal post mint damage, but tell us what the ||| | | lines are all about.

The person who comes closest to guessing what Bill Noyes, noted expert, said what it was wins the prize.

What is the prize? A 2007 silver eagle selected by me out of 2 green monster boxes that my YN and I are cherrypicking though for grading. This coin will likely not be a 70, but would likely, IMHO, grade MS69.

Contest ends on January 22.

If anyone can post the pictures in this thread, please do!

eyoung429

Here is the coin:

STONE

Please sign up my brother who just turned 14.

Thanks

claychaser

OK for Stone's brother - now he needs to post or PM me his theory.......

TheKidCollector1991

Do we comment on Picture 3 or The edges on the coins.

TKC!...Sent u a PM asking a question...

Thanks!

smokinjoe925

PM sent with theory, awsome givaway Clay.

claychaser

One of the PM entries was close and worthy of a prize! Keep 'em coming to see if there are any better ones.

I'll post all the pm entries after the entry deadline.

It's ok for parents to post their YN's guesses.

TheKidCollector1991

PM sent!

TKC!

claychaser

I'm getting some great YN answers - and who knows, they may be right!

I will also award second prizes, including uncirculated Franklins and some nicer Indian Cents, to YN's who post well thought out answers. It's Ok for them to respond through a parent's user name, as long as it's the YN's work.

Keep 'em coming. I'll post the PM responses when the contest closes.

claychaser

SmokinJoe925's entry:

Awsome givaway Clay.
I have three theirys, if i may enter all of them.
1) The notches were put into the coin and given to slaves durring the civil war, to show that they were not spies.
2) The notches were put into them so that when they punched the planchet, the coin didnt slip (if you are talking about the ones around the outside)
3) Tthey were just put there so people had better grip on the coin.

I think the 1st one is the most likely, but i thought I'd just throw all three out. Thanks

============================================================================

gemstatecoins entry:
My 2 sons, Dylan(14) and Nathan(11) both worked on this one so if the answer is close and they win something flip a coin to choose between them. They tried to keyword google to get answer but only came up that this was a "gripped" edge half-cent. They then used "gripped" on a search in PCGS forum and came up with a thread that contained this idea;

"The half cent planchets of 1797 were made by cutting down spoiled large cents and other scrap. Therefore they did not come as finished planchets from Boulton. Looking at the so-called gripped edge of 1797 half cents, as compared with gripped edge 1797 large cents, I would say that it is likely that the half cent edge marks ARE from a crude planchet cutter and not an edge die. "

Great question!!
Thanks, Darryl

======================================================================

TheKidCoector1991 entry:
Hey.

My theory is that the person who held that coin must've tried to check if it was genuine so hit it to see if it was plated or fake. slashed the rim.

Thanks!

Just my theory.




TKC!

================================================================================

claychaser,

My brother (Jason) thinks its a doubled gripped edge (like the edges on Quarters & Dimes).

Thanks again for the giveaway,

WinstonHi,

My dad told me about your contest. I looked in my redbook and my Dad's Breen's encyclopedia for what the mark might be. The only thing I can guess is that it is a gripped edge. The 1797 half cent had three edges. A plain edge, a lettered edge and a gripped edge. I found this on the PCGS website. definitions I tried to find out what a gripped edge is and how and why it was made but I didn't find anything so far. It sounds like it is called that because it was gripped by something during or after Minting but I'll keep looking though to try and find out for sure.

Thanks for the chance. I just wanted to write and tell you what I found out so far.

(STONE)

==================================================================================

notogical's entry:

Hi,

My dad told me about your contest. I looked in my redbook and my Dad's Breen's encyclopedia for what the mark might be. The only thing I can guess is that it is a gripped edge. The 1797 half cent had three edges. A plain edge, a lettered edge and a gripped edge. I found this on the PCGS website. definitions I tried to find out what a gripped edge is and how and why it was made but I didn't find anything so far. It sounds like it is called that because it was gripped by something during or after Minting but I'll keep looking though to try and find out for sure.

Thanks for the chance. I just wanted to write and tell you what I found out so far.

========================================================================================================

Entry by fengk:


Thanks for the giveaway, if it's not too late I'd like to submit my idea.
My theory is that it's a gripped edge that was misstruck the first time, and the process was repeated, which might have caused the irregularity in the lines on the edge.
Just a theory.
Thanks










ANYMORE ENTRIES???

THESE ARE GREAT POSTS, BUT NOT THE "EXACT" THEORY GIVEN TO ME BY MR. NOYES.

ALL OF THE ABOVE POSTS WILL WIN A RUNNER-UP PRIZE - AND MAYBE THE 2007 EAGLE GRAND PRIZE.

Musky1011

how about counting notches

when stacked you could tell how many were in a stack without recounting them

Jim's YN

claychaser

A the entries are posted. I'll post the winner(s) later this week.

All the answers are good - and keep in mind, the expert had a "theory" about this coin, since he was not there in 1797!

All the entries above will win at least a runner-up prize.

claychaser

Will post the winners Friday night or Saturday

claychaser

It's a way tie, so time for a second question!

According to copper expert Bill Noyes, the notches were post mint damage - but likely in 1797, or shortly after when the coin was in AU58 or better condition. He thinks they were cut in by somebody with a pen knife when the coin was nearly new, as the wear down to it's current condition has worn the cuts near the rims.

So, I judge that the fllowing 3 are semi-finalists:

SmokinJoe925
Musky1011's YN
TheKidCollector1991

So here's the second question:

Why did PCGS body bag this coin?

PM with with your answers. One answer per entrant. Good luck!

All participants - please PM me your address for a prize!

smokinjoe925

oops... deleted

claychaser

OK you YN whiz kids - no one got it right!

So, guess again for the silver!

Hint: The reason has nothing to do with the notches............

PM me with your second guesses.

TheKidCollector1991

Oh no!

I'm running out of ideas!

TKC!

claychaser

Hi Kid,

shoot me a pm with your "final answer" so I can announce winners and ship prizes.

mrmagoo

STONE

Congrats guys.

Again, that was a neat contest.

smokinjoe925

Lol, I just noticed that its comming up on a month now lol, This was a long givaway lol.

Joe

claychaser

Hello finalists:

Here are the 3 finalists' answers:

SmokinJoe's answer:

Well, My final answer is that it was body bagged b/c of altered surfaces (cleaning/corrosion). Lol, Thanks.

Joe



========================================
Musky1011's YN:
scratched

=========================================
KidCollector1991:
My FINAL Answer: It was body Bag for clear editting and chisel edit on the coin.

Random Guess. Im getting a head ache thinking of it.

TKC!

Thanks!
=======================================

WINNER IS SMOKINJOE97!

PCGS bagged the coin due to cleaning. The area around the date is lighter. Some idiot probably used a pencil eraser to show off the 1797 date.

To all other entrants - great work! PM me with your addresses if you have not done so already, and I'll ship out prizes next week!

smokinjoe925

Awsome, Thanks. Lol after 4 guesses. That was the only one I could think of lol.

Joe

TheKidCollector1991

Dang...

Congrats Smokinjoe!

TKC!

claychaser

Mailing out prizes to all YN's who entered today. Your envelope will have a homebuilder logo, and say "Tile Samples".

Great answers by all, thanks for participating!

smokinjoe925

Just got it today, AWSOME COIN!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol yea the 'Title Sample' kinda threw me off lol, but it looks amazing. Thank you, and tell your son nice choice.

Joe