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For die-polish fans (or post your most die polished coin...)

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I really like the whole heavy die polish look on coins. This one, a 1953 un decimo de balboa (presumably minted in the US?) has a particularly heavily polished obverse.


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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 31,740 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good heavens! I wonder which of the U.S. Mints struck that piece?

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
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    CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Umm. I'm a huge fan of "scrubbed dies"

    Here's a couple at hand









    The more you VAM..
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    nk1nknk1nk Posts: 477 ✭✭✭✭

    Not my coin unfortunately, saw this on eBay, it was buy it now but I was at work and was having connection issues and couldn't purchase it, sold before I could get a connection.


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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

    Here's an interesting steel Lincoln. Unlike typical die polish, this over achiever polished into the devices. I wonder what the chances are a TPG would interrupt this as "improperly cleaned"?

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    TommyTypeTommyType Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Can't say I'm a big fan of die polished coins, for the reason already alluded to: They look harshly cleaned from afar!!

    Not that some die polish isn't interesting. It's just distracting.

    (Of course, I think wild colors are often distracting too....But the rest of the coin world doesn't seem to pay me any mind. :) )

    Easily distracted Type Collector
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    7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How about this specimen 1982 West African States 5000 CFA in gold?

    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
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    BryceMBryceM Posts: 11,767 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I tend to not like DPLs so most of my coins don't have them. This one shows quite a bit on the reverse. On this coin they don't bother me so much:

    image

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    FallGuyFallGuy Posts: 207 ✭✭✭

    I can understand why some experts recommend avoiding coins with heavy die polish lines but I find them very attractive. It is gratifying to know I'm not alone!

    Love this thread and I hope folks keep posting more!

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    RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Your 1878-S dollar appears to have a partially sunken obverse die.

    When do "polishing lines" become "die scratches" become "file lines" become "defaced die?"

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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

    @RogerB said:
    Your 1878-S dollar appears to have a partially sunken obverse die.

    When do "polishing lines" become "die scratches" become "file lines" become "defaced die?"

    That's a great question! I hope someone smarter than me can answer it.

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    CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Die file lines are just a thicker version of die polishing lines and die scratches are typically singular or a random spread out patch of singular scratches. A defaced die is just that a die that has had most or all of its devices stripped away. I get your point though Roger lol.

    The more you VAM..
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    RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 5:55AM

    I'd call that "die scratched."

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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

    Awesome!!

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    sparky64sparky64 Posts: 7,031 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"

    My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress

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    logger7logger7 Posts: 8,245 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It seems the first couple years of Morgans had these. Tom Bush photography.

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    nk1nknk1nk Posts: 477 ✭✭✭✭

    Blue62vette, that is a great coin! Love it!! As my teenager would say "that's sick"

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    abcde12345abcde12345 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Do brillo pads caused raised or recessed lines? I'd hate to think this can be faked for added value too.

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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭
    edited April 3, 2017 6:02PM

    While the obverse has a good deal of polish, take a good look at the reverse! Some serious scrubbing there!

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    CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @abcde12345 said:
    Do brillo pads caused raised or recessed lines? I'd hate to think this can be faked for added value too.

    There's no way to effectively mimic this look that will fool an expert. When you use a brillo pad or anything else it pushes the metal around. The lines on true die polishing are on the die and transferred directly to the planchet during the strike. If these become popular enough in the future and start garnering huge premiums I'm sure doctors will start putting time into doing a good enough job to fool novices however.

    The more you VAM..
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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

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    abcde12345abcde12345 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I hope a dremmel tool also leaves tail-tell signs of skullduggery.

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    CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @abcde12345 said:
    I hope a dremmel tool also leaves tail-tell signs of skullduggery.

    Yes. Any external force pushes metal to create the lines and that metal being pushed is a dead giveaway. You can't fake a polished die that wil fool anything above a novice.

    The more you VAM..
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    blu62vetteblu62vette Posts: 11,902 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @RogerB said:
    I'd call that "scratched."

    @nk1nk said:
    Blue62vette, that is a great coin! Love it!! As my teenager would say "that's sick"

    PCGS called it PL.

    http://www.bluccphotos.com" target="new">BluCC Photos Shows for onsite imaging: Nov Baltimore, FUN, Long Beach http://www.facebook.com/bluccphotos" target="new">BluCC on Facebook
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    jtlee321jtlee321 Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here's a couple more..




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    lkeigwinlkeigwin Posts: 16,891 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A run of the mill...change at CostCo.
    Lance.

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    jtlee321jtlee321 Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @lkeigwin said:
    A run of the mill...change at CostCo.
    Lance.

    Wow, that is intense!! It almost looks like someone laid fiberboard over the die and pressed it in.

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    CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭✭


    The more you VAM..
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    mannie graymannie gray Posts: 7,259 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I admit I'm not a fan of heavy die polish.
    I think it detracts from the coin and in some cases can lessen the assigned grade.

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    AzurescensAzurescens Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm a huge fan, and even moreso after seeing these amazing pictures. You ladies and gents are awesome!

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    AmazonXAmazonX Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 12:33AM

    Right up my alley. Check out the spot behind Jefferson's eye.

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    AzurescensAzurescens Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That 41-S Winged Liberty tho..

    Awe yeah.

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    AmazonXAmazonX Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:
    Good heavens! I wonder which of the U.S. Mints struck that piece?

    I would guess San Francisco. Lot of the coins from the early 50's come heavily die polished from the San Francisco mint.

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    jtlee321jtlee321 Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is an awesome thread!! I love heavy die polish like these.

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    rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I do not care for die polish coins... If, however, I found one in change, I would keep it as a specimen... Some of those shown in this thread are amazing though... I have never seen such heavily die polished coins as some of these.... Yes, I would certainly keep those.... I just would not want one of my 'special' coins to look like that. Cheers, RickO

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    RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Most of this was done by a careless worker with an emery stick. (San Francisco preferred to use lime at least until about 1890.)

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    sparky64sparky64 Posts: 7,031 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I like a "tasteful" amount of polishing and how it affects the luster.
    Makes a unique look.

    "If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"

    My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress

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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 31,740 ✭✭✭✭✭

    AmazonX's 1948-S nickel wins the contest!

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

    @sparky64 said:
    I like a "tasteful" amount of polishing and how it affects the luster.
    Makes a unique look.

    It also can act like a fingerprint if your coin is ever stolen and broken out / resubmitted. Toning can be dipped away but die polish lines are not going anywhere (unless you're a thief willing to change an MS coin into a VG/F coin)

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    FairlanemanFairlaneman Posts: 10,414 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Reverse of a 1924P Mercury Dime.

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    IcollecteverythingIcollecteverything Posts: 1,029 ✭✭✭

    I finally did some more peeking at 1983 cent rolls I put away and it sure was a tough year for die abuse.
    Quite a few times I would be looking at one side and think it might grade high and then flip it over and see something like this:

    Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.

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    CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TequilaDave said:

    @sparky64 said:
    I like a "tasteful" amount of polishing and how it affects the luster.
    Makes a unique look.

    It also can act like a fingerprint if your coin is ever stolen and broken out / resubmitted. Toning can be dipped away but die polish lines are not going anywhere (unless you're a thief willing to change an MS coin into a VG/F coin)

    Not really. Its just an indication of a specific die stage of a specific die pairing. Although I get what you're saying. If you go to a local pawn shop a month later and see that same coin in the same die stage you would be looking at every other coin they recently purchased.

    The more you VAM..
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    ashelandasheland Posts: 22,905 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great thread!

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    WalkerfanWalkerfan Posts: 9,079 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 8:27PM

    Under the flag and under the motto.

    “I may not believe in myself but I believe in what I’m doing” ~Jimmy Page~

    My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947)

    https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/

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    TequilaDaveTequilaDave Posts: 271 ✭✭✭

    @CoinsAndMoreCoins said:

    Must have been a Friday afternoon go-home time coin.

    I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that coin did not leave the mint looking like that....

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    abcde12345abcde12345 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is the yellow pennie brass?

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