Sunday afternoon game of Whazzit.

IGWT

Broadstruck

Looks like a swirly milk chocolate cupcake icing brockage

STONE

Date style of a CWT that is invertedly stamped onto some piece of copper/coin.

NHSBaseball

Good question- the photo makes it look like a raised, inverted 1866 on a copper coin, to state the obvious. Beyond that I have no clue.

IGWT

Good question- the photo makes it look like a raised, inverted 1866 on a copper coin, to state the obvious. Beyond that I have no clue.

The digits are incuse, as is this lettering:

PerryHall

<< <i>Good question- the photo makes it look like a raised, inverted 1866 on a copper coin, to state the obvious. Beyond that I have no clue. >>



Not inverted. Rather it looks like a mirror image which leads me to believe this coin was struck by heavily clashed dies.

NHSBaseball

If they are incuse, that rules out clashed dies, which would be raised on the metal. Maybe someone playing around with a hammer, hammering the date/letters from another coin onto the surface of a cent?

intocoins

3 Cent Pattern / Experimental strike Brockage?

CaptHenway

Raised trial strike on a planchet or disc previously used to make a hub impression.
TD

IGWT

Raised trial strike on a planchet or disc previously used to make a hub impression.
TD

Close! The date and letter punches were tried on the copper piece before the hub trial. (You might have missed the earlier post in which I mentioned that the digits and letters are incuse.)

I posted the following in another thread, but I'm not sure that many read it:

Most collectors know that the Mint prepared many patterns for the first five-cent piece in 1866. And most know that subtype 2 -- reverse without rays between the stars -- was intended to improve the striking and to reduce die wear and breakage. It's not widely known, however, that the Mint seriously considered adopting a Liberty design for the five-cent piece as early as 1867, before the proposal in 1868 for uniform design on minor coinage. Taxay refers generally to the 5c patterns of 1867: "When, in 1867, Longacre removed the rays from among the stars, many persons thought that one or the other of the two varieties was counterfeit. Rumors grew so persistent that the Mint considered abandoning the shield and starry circle altogether, and a number of new models were prepared." D. Taxay, The U.S. Mint and Coinage at 245 (1966 & 1983 ARCO Pub. Ed.). Taxay does not provide any citation to the record. Roger Burdette, however, recently found a letter from Director Linderman to Secretary McCulloch dated June 19, 1867, that fully supports Taxay's statement, and it clearly refers to the design of J-A1867-15 (which is the hub trial for J-566).



Just one week earlier, on June 12, 1867, Longacre had written his own letter to McCulloch advocating for the adoption of J-561 (struck in aluminum) for regular coinage. The formality of the times and the chain of command required Longacre to send his letter to McCulloch through Linderman. Given the thoughts that Linderman expressed in his own letter to McCulloch on June 19 letter, we can wonder whether he even bothered to forward Longacre's June 12 letter. In any event, although neither design was adopted, both are very important parts to the story of the 5c piece in the history of our federal coinage.

J-A1867-9 is to J-561 what J-A1867-15 is to J-566. Both hub trials go together and should stay together; so, it's fun to look at them side-by-side as they more than likely appeared on Longacre's workbench.



Here's a larger picture of the J-566 hub trial to help see the trial punches that I used for clues:

IGWT

It's still Sunday.

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>Looks like a swirly milk chocolate cupcake icing brockage >>



Between the laughter and education, I'm gettin' hungry.

IGWT

Hi Rick.

Edited to add: Here's the letter courtesy of RWB (with transcription below):




Mint of the United States

Philadelphia, June 19, 1867


Hon Hugh McColloch,
Secretary of the Treasury,

Dear Sir,

For some time past we have been in receipt of letters from persons residing in different parts of the Country respecting the two varieties of the five cent Nickel coin in circulation. The coin as first issued contained rays between the stars on the reverse. Subsequently, in February last, I think, the rays were omitted + the coin issued without them. This alteration leads many persons to beleive [sic] the one variety or the other to be counterfeit. With a view to do away with this embarrassment, as well as to improve the artistic appearance of the coin I instructed the Engraver to prepare Dies with entirely new Devices. These Dies are now completed and I send You herewith the first specimen struck from them (in copper). The obverse contains an Emblematic head of Liberty, surrounded by the Legend “United States of America” with the year of coinage underneath. The Reverse has the inscription 5 Cents, surrounded by branches of Olives indicative of the Peaceful condition of our Country – and above the Motto “In God we Trust.”

In a few days we will have struck and forwarded to you a few Specimens in the Nickel-copper alloy; and I shall then have the honor to ask your approval of the new Devices + present the reasons for the proposed change.

Respectfully yours,

H. R. Linderman
Director

RKKay

I've been looking for this. That is really cool.

IGWT

Just a bump so you can see my edit to include a picture of the letter.

RKKay

Letters like that is what it is all about.