How does a pattern issue get worn down to VF30?

mbogoman

How did this pattern get worn down to a VF30? The only thing I can think of is a pocket piece. Did these actually circulate in commerce?

Goloid Dollar pattern

LindeDad

Could also be that the die was not set right and a very weak strike threw the graders for a loop.

MWallace

Pocket piece perhaps?

mbogoman

<< <i>Could also be that the die was not set right and a very weak strike threw the graders for a loop. >>



No, it's definitely wear. Look at the closeups - it's got plenty of circulation marks. I'm just curious as to whether or not these things may have circulated. I would think that it would be tough to spend one in those days, especially something as esoteric as a Goloid dollar, whose composition was truly unknown...

PerryHall

<< <i>Pocket piece perhaps? >>

pruebas

I know in Mexico sometimes patterns got thrown in the hopper with circulation issues and circulated for a time until someone noticed a difference.

That's the only plausible thing I can think of.

Edited to add: This would have been a lot of money to the average person in 1879. They would probably want to get rid of it as soon as possible to avoid getting stuck with what may have been a fake.

MICHAELDIXON

Without the internet, television and instant access to information, if one were spent, people assumed it was a new issue and continued to spend them. It's not unusual to see circulated patterns.

Broadstruck

Some lil kid raided dad's collection to buy ice cream

CoinMan1012

<< <i>Some lil kid raided dad's collection to buy ice cream >>


Haha. What a horror.
Taylor

Baley

who knows for sure, but the highest probability for significant wear on patterns is Pocket Piece for many years, since the velocity is very low on any Different coin, it gets pulled and saved sooner rather than later, it just doesn't make sense that it would get spent thousands of times. Same is true IMO with most silver commemoratives that show a lot of wear, the exceptions are Columbians and a few others that were released to circulation in large enough numbers to not be that unusual in the bigger cities and therefore circulated

BARTLESVILLEOK

Here is another Pattern.

This is the lowest graded problem free Pattern I have even seen. Does anyone have one that has graded lower?

[URL=http://s209.photobucket.com/user/ctpayne/media/COINS/Patterns/j684.jpg.html][/URL]