Pattern/US Mint Experts: Help!

RKKay

My question is regarding happenings at The Mint in 1863. According to Saul Teichman, in 1863, with regard to pattern three cent piece J319, some planchets weighed about 144 grains. I also believe that the US patterns website states that some copper planchets were of double thickness. Can anyone expand on this? Does anyone have any mint records regarding this? How about regarding restrikes that were struck that year? In particular, I am wondering about Large Flying Eagle patterns. The Bangs, Merwin catalogue of the Woodward sale from April and May of 1863 specifically refers to a copper 1855 large flyer of double thickness. Coincidentally, George Eckfeldt's journal refers to striking three cent patterns of the size of "large cents" from 1854. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Read

MrEureka

No answers, but an observation that may help. The rare thick version of J-299 is 50% thicker than the thin version. (That's based on reported weights of 75 vs 49 grains, thick vs thin.) Yet the thin version was supposed to be half the thickness of the standard copper-nickel cents.

From Eckfeldt's journal.

EagleEye

Interesting entry in Eckfeldt's journal. Thanks for sharing. I believe I read that the 137 pieces struck on Nov. 12th were recorded as copper - zinc. These are nearly always recorded as copper. Is there any J-299's that have tested copper-zinc?

RKKay

Thanks Andy. That is a very interesting lead, as 144 grains is almost exactly 1 1/2 times what is expected of a Large Flying Eagle.

RKKay

<< <i>Interesting entry in Eckfeldt's journal. Thanks for sharing. I believe I read that the 137 pieces struck on Nov. 12th were recorded as copper - zinc. These are nearly always recorded as copper. Is there any J-299's that have tested copper-zinc? >>



I don't believe I have ever tested a J-299. I have no clue personally.

RKKay

Anyone from the daytime crowd?