1864 IHCs

kurtdog

I figure I can infer from my Redbook that the pointed bust variety happened only in the bronze cents as the rounded bust was carried over from the nickel cents to the bronze cents until late in the year, when it was changed. Only reason I want to know is it seems like I have a pointed bust nickel cent, and that doesn't seem to make much sense to me. Here are the pics; these are both nickels.

BigRick

Links don't work for me.

ricko

Do they both have the 'L'? Cheers, RickO

ThePennyLady

It would be more helpful to see the entire coin. From the partial photos, it kind of looks like one might be a bronze cent and one might be the copper nickel, but it's very hard to tell from these photos.

kurtdog

RickO, I ain't going to be reading any initial on these babies, even if it's there. Charmy, I can't get the whole coins to focus too well, as they're in the cardboard flips, nice and stapled, and it's just a pain in the butt to take them out. Just take it from me, these first two are nickels. This last one, which is the bronze, does check out to about a gram-and-a-half under the weight of these first two (that's another reason I can tell). I'm picturing this last one only because it's indeed a pointed bust bronze. I dunno, maybe this second one isn't pointed, maybe it's just wear? All I know is, I got a couple of 1863s and an 1862 and the busts could be bookends, they all show like this first one, all that round. BTW, it's the color on this second one that throws you off, I know; the thickness and weight say it's a nickel, though.

Uh oh, time for a big EDIT. I just took the coin in question (the second one) out of the flip, and it IS a BRONZE! Dang! So sorry for mixing everybody up. It was one of my 1863s that was the somewhat "off-color nick," and I got that one mixed up with this one, probably because these have been in the flips for soooooo long. Real sorry, gang. As you were on this one...

EagleEye

The above coin is a 1864 With L in Copper Nickel, unfortunately it is corroded.

When the Mint went from CN to bronze it was specified that a new design was not necessary, however Longacre did take this opportunity to sharpen up the design (and include his initial). The old dies used for the CN cents continued to be used side-by-side with the new "With L" dies. There are 3 known CN struck from the With L dies (the above coin is one of them). There are also two examples in CN struck from the original 1864 With L Proof dies. Those are patterns.

kurtdog

Well there's something you're not going to read in the Redbook. Rick, thanks. Unfortunately, though, like I said, mine is the thin bronze. I just had it stored in the flip since 1865 (or so it seems) and I got it mixed up with my "off-color" 1863 because I couldn't view the sides. Anyway, I also have a couple 1859s (same weight, of course), and these copper-nickels do hold their thicknesses. So, I know mine is the bronze, now. BTW, that's a helluva technical condition your 1864 held for being pitted like that. I wish my 1862, same pitting, looked half that good.