I just found a 25C planchet in a bunch of Arizona quarters

zeebob

I was spending my usual 1/2 hour before work sorting through bank rolls of new state quarters and noticed the edge of one of the quarters was smooth. I parted the roll and what should I find but a planchet. I never found one of these before! Neat.

This gave rise to several questions.

Were all the little scratches on the planchet before going through the mint's machinery? Or was this likely the result of sloshing around with a bunch of quarters? Do planchets all start as nice smooth surfaces?

A lot of the Arizona quarters I have - like 99% so far - all have numerous tiny little scratches in the fields. Similar scratches, although more pronounced, are seen on the planchet. I assume these are post strike damage so even if there are no other contact marks I just toss these quarters in the garbage box. As I understand it eye appeal is a big part of an MS67 grade and I'm trying to pick out only 67's. Does this all sound about right? Comments welcome. I wish to be better educated about what to look out for when sorting for MS67 on the state quarters.

LanLord

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sorry, first response

fivecents

That is a type 2 planchet, because of the upset rims.
When it comes to the ultra moderns the MS67 grade is more about lack of marks and stike than eye appeal.
Remember that blank planchet has went through the counting machine at Lomus or Wells fargo, so it will show many more marks than a struck coin.
Any marks on the black planchet should disappear with the coin is struck up. jmho

DoUPlayOnePocket

The blank planchet is a neat find, and it should weigh exactly the same as a normal quarter.

By the way, if you are searching rolls just for MS67's, please send me all of the MS68's rather than throw them in your garbage box.

Chris

19Lyds

zeebob, what you are seeing is typical of a blank Type 2 planchet. When this planchet goes through the coining press, 99% of those marks go away as the metal gets forced into the recesses of the dies. If the machine is set up on the light side, then more of these marks will survive. Set up on the heavier side, then fewer will survive.

Copper-Nickel clad coins can take a lot of abuse before actually showing damage in the form of gouges or hits however given a sharp enough edge (such as freshly minted coins) and they can scratch fairly easily. I suspect that this is what you are seeing.

BTW, I would be pissing myself if I found what you did as these are just not that common!

zeebob

<< <i>The blank planchet is a neat find, and it should weigh exactly the same as a normal quarter.

By the way, if you are searching rolls just for MS67's, please send me all of the MS68's rather than throw them in your garbage box.

Chris >>



Er, "garbage box" isn't probably the right word... I just roll all the "bad" quarters up and take them back to another bank branch (the branch I don't like).

I don't think I get any better than MS67. I sent a few singles into PCGS and they only gave me MS67 grades.

edited: "send" to "sent" and added the following:

Not my auction but looks like these things are available at the click of a mouse button. Although, I have to admit, it was cooler finding one than it would be to buy one.