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Benefits of basic research

RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

Numismatic research can be harrowing stuff. Not only must one navigate the byzantine processes and rules of various archives and historical societies, but once inside the hallowed halls documents are often filed in confusing, or missing, order and context. All this means that basic research is commonly a slow slog through volumes and boxes filled with routine reports, on the chance of finding a few “keepers” worthy of copying. All of this fuels the increase in knowledge, and makes this hobby more interesting and enjoyable for all.

Yet, items are found. Some are about well-known events, such as the Saint-Gaudens coin designs; others expand little known experiments such as the 1942 cent and nickel replacement alloys. Still others present new and interesting events such as the 1897 US Mint examination of a patent claim to turn base metal into gold and silver.

The photos below show two discoveries from basic research. Nothing fancy – just an examination of thousands of coins and high quality photos.

1922-S double eagle. “Filed Die” variety. Deep steel file cuts across the obverse die. Scarce date/mint and only 2 examples of this variety known. (In Heritage’s Feb., 2017 Long Beach sale. This is the poster’s discovery coin.)

Here is another significant die variety, this time on a 1909-S half eagle. This piece has a very strong die clash on the obverse. The arrows point to specific parts of the reverse that were transferred to the obverse die during production. Research to establish survival of this date/mint and the likely quantity of clashed die pieces available is in progress.

Comments

  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,116 ✭✭✭✭✭

    LOL!
    But in all seriousness, I'm glad for the research done by others. Makes the hobby more interesting.

    Successful BST transactions with 170 members. Recent: Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • LanceNewmanOCCLanceNewmanOCC Posts: 19,999 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @messydesk said:
    ... being allowed to copy stuff into a yellowed spiral notebook with a dull golf pencil by the light of a flickering overhead fluorescent light diffused by decades of dead flies.

    dead fly diffusal is just the worst. :(

    just ask spassky. :P
    .

    <--- look what's behind the mask! - cool link 1/NO ~ 2/NNP ~ 3/NNC ~ 4/CF ~ 5/PG ~ 6/Cert ~ 7/NGC 7a/NGC pop~ 8/NGCF ~ 9/HA archives ~ 10/PM ~ 11/NM ~ 12/ANACS cert ~ 13/ANACS pop - report fakes 1/ACEF ~ report fakes/thefts 1/NCIS - Numi-Classes SS ~ Bass ~ Transcribed Docs NNP - clashed coins - error training - V V mm styles -

  • ranshdowranshdow Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭

    @RogerB said:

    1922-S double eagle. “Filed Die” variety. Deep steel file cuts across the obverse die. Scarce date/mint and only 2 examples of this variety known. (In Heritage’s Feb., 2017 Long Beach sale. This is the poster’s discovery coin.)

    Gosh, when I see tooling marks like that, the first thing that comes to mind is "counterfeit"!

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very nice to know that you have a great sense of humor during your tedious work that you share with all of us here, thank you. :smile:

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • kazkaz Posts: 9,052 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow Roger, I can see why folks are standing in line to do numismatic historical research! :o

  • LoveMyLibertyLoveMyLiberty Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭

    Now Roger, you know at the end of that diatribe you turn
    to Mr. Bumble, holding out your note pad & say,,,,,,,,MORE PLEASE !!

    My Type Set

    R.I.P. Bear image
  • BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Roger - was that YOU in the next cell? We have his cousin, Mr. Brumble. Next time, knock your chair against the floor a couple times and we'll knock back...

    -----Burton
    ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
  • CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,614 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I've met a few Mr. Bumbles in my time. Roger speaks the truth.

  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,515 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I know your plight, Roger. Been there and done that. Boring as heck, till you find that little something that wakes you up and puts one heck of a smile on your face. I can remember hours and days researching CC dollars in N. Nevada at the old Mint, State archives in CC and at the University in Reno. Tedious and rewarding at the same time. My wife was with me the whole way and it surely helped to have two sets of eyes reading and searching.
    bob:)

    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    :D Great humor.... That being said, research, while interesting, can be tremendous drudgery at times. I research old maps and property files dating back to the late 1600's for homesteads etc., in order to metal detect such sites for caches... One day, I will hit the jackpot... ;) Cheers, RickO

  • KellenCoinKellenCoin Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭✭

    With the internet, people sometimes slack off and just trust the incomplete info they see there. In order to really learn, sometimes you need to do some work.

    YN Member of the ANA, ANS, NBS, EAC, C4, MCA, PNNA, CSNS, ILNA, TEC, and more!
    Always buying numismatic literature and sample slabs.

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very little of the "good stuff" is available on the internet or in digital versions. High-quality digitization is costly and prone to uncorrected technical errors. For example, nearly every Google-digitized book has multiple errors such as missing pages, blanks, geometry distortions, and page-turn images. While every bit of the work helps, researchers also rely on accuracy. The original page is "ground-truth" regardless of content.

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