Three Cent Silver and Three Cent Nickel books

kevinj

I am planning on updating the three cent nickel book
The Authoriative Reference on Three Cent nickels, I have already added
a date by date analysis section, die counts, new archive documents.

I am looking for any new die varieties which are not listed in the book,
and also seeing if there are any experts on the three cent nickels who might
want to contribute a collecting/investing page or two in the book.

Also working on a three cent silver book, beginning stages on this book,
looking for die varieties, repunched dates, doubled dies and such.

Also looking for the die varieties listed in Breen to validate or refute them.

I have a list of the ones I have studied and photographed.

Thanks
Kevin
kevinjflynn88@yahoo.com
www.kevinjflynn.com

dpoole

Kevin,

I presume you have Allan Gifford's book: The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Three Cent Nickels (2003).

The biggest flap I know about right now is the controversy over whether Gifford's 1883 B05a die designation (with the raised bump on the hair edge behind the neck) generated only MS specimens.

I sent Allen my specimen a while back, and he thought it was unquestionably MS. He wrote an an opinion letter. Alas, PCGS has stood firm through re-submissions and even personal examinations by Hall on the part of several of us: the coins we submitted for their inspection were proofs, despite the die characteristic.


This is a fun series for all the overdates, die cracks, die clashes, etc. etc. I look forward to your revision!

kevinj

<< <i>I presume you have Allan Gifford's book: The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Three Cent Nickels (2003).
The biggest flap I know about right now is the controversy over whether Gifford's 1883 B05a die designation (with the raised bump on the hair edge behind the neck) generated only MS specimens.
I sent Allen my specimen a while back, and he thought it was unquestionably MS. He wrote an an opinion letter. Alas, PCGS has stood firm through re-submissions and even personal examinations by Hall on the part of several of us: the coins we submitted for their inspection were proofs, despite the die characteristic.
>>



Did not know Gifford's book was 2003, will have to check it out.

On which dies were used for MS vs proof, in going back through the archive records, this is what I found
for three cent nickel dies used for 1883

1883 - Obverse 6, Reverse 7, Average pieces per die 1,632

With a mintage in 1883 of 4,000 BS, 6,609 Proofs,
I would speculate 4 obv and reverse dies for proofs, two sets for BS.

This depends also when they were struck, for example only 600 Lincoln cent matte proofs were struck
in 1916, but there are two different set of working dies used. There were also three deliveries over
the course of the year.

It is also possible that some dies were not used. But for the average printed by the Mint,
I would speculate that the 4 pair of dies were used for the proofs.

It would be good to examine and BS and see if there is more than one die, based upon
the diagnostics.

Thanks
Kevin

dpoole

Gifford identified 4 obv and 4 rev working dies for the 1883 proof, and but one obv and one rev working die for the 1883 among the specimens (according to him) that exist! He also identified two repunched dates, one for the first obv proof die, and one for the MS die.

It was on the MS die that he identified the characteristic (the bump on the hair) mentioned in my last post.

Another interesting issue is a raised lump on the cheek of Miss Liberty on the 1975 proof. IMO, the raised lump is the "marker" of a genuine 1875 proof, which are generally of poor quality. Neither of you mentioned this in either of your books, but that is the scuttlebut among some familiar with the series, and that has been my experience (in auctions and with the grading services, the feature is mentioned as a distraction. To me, it's a confirmaiton).

If this isn't the esoteria of coin nerds, I don't know what is!!

scher

Hey..no name calling!!
Bruce Scher

erwindoc

Kevin,

Those are both series I am interested in. I would love to know when the book comes out!

kevinj

<< <i>Kevin,
Those are both series I am interested in. I would love to know when the book comes out! >>



Have a few die varieties already listed for the three cent silvers, still need to examine a few
that Breen listed in his books. I posted a list of what I need on www.kevinjflynn.com

Also looking for any die varieties on the three cent nickels which were not listed in the book.

Thanks
Kevin

kevinj

I just went through Alan Gifford's three cent nickel book.

I need the following die varieties from it.
If anyone has any, I would appreciate borrowing them

Thanks
Kevin

Three cent nickels needed, listed in Allan Gifford’s Three Cent Nickel book

Misplaced Dates
1865 - B13, B14, B15
1875 – P01

Doubled Dies
1865 – B29
1866 – B14, B18
1869 – B04, B12
1870 – B05a
1872 – B06
1874 – B06
1881 B20

Repunched Dates
1865 – B25, B26, B27, B28, B29
1866 – P01, B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B18, B19
1867 – B08, B09, B10
1868 – P01, B06
1869 – B07, B08, B09, B10, B11, B12
1870 – B08, B09
1871 – B06
1872 – P02, B07, B08
1873 – B05, B06, B07
1874 – B06, B07, B08, B09, B10
1876 – B05
1878 – P01
1879 – P02, B06
1880 – B04, B05
1881 – P03, B15, B16, B17, B18, B19, B20, B21
1882 – P02, P03, B06, B07
1883 – P01, P02, B05
1886 – P01
1888 – P03, B09, B10

Barndog

been in touch with Gary Rosner? I assume he knows a bit about the series. his website