1792 reeded edge

JohnHarper · February 16, 2013 9:42AM

Literature says that the 1792 half disme has a diagonally reeded edge. Does the diagonal lean forward like //// of backward like \\?

LanceNewmanOCC · February 16, 2013 9:52AM

.
are you looking at the obv or the rev?
.

MsMorrisine · February 16, 2013 9:55AM

<< .
are you looking at the obv or the rev?
. >>

doesn't mater.

the lean will be the same if the coin is flipped over

LochNESS · February 16, 2013 9:59AM

BAM!

I heard that on the south side

CaptHenway · February 16, 2013 10:53AM

<< 

<< .
are you looking at the obv or the rev?
. >>

doesn't mater.

the lean will be the same if the coin is flipped over >>

Right. So the question is still valid. Regardless of whether the coin is face up or facce down, as you look at it edge on, does the reeding lean to the left\\ or to the right/////?

MsMorrisine · February 17, 2013 2:47AM

///// or \\ ???

bump

CaptHenway · February 17, 2013 4:29AM

<< ///// or \\ ???

bump >>

I think that you and I are the only two people to undersrtand the question.

Flatwoods · February 17, 2013 4:30AM

\\\

JohnHarper · February 17, 2013 5:33AM

To Flatwoods: Interesting answer. What is the basis for your answer? How can I verify it?

ricko · February 17, 2013 5:54AM

I had read that half dismes were not struck until 1795, although there were some dated 1794. Where did the 1792 come from? Was that independently minted? Cheers, RickO

DeliaBug · February 17, 2013 5:57AM

<< To Flatwoods: Interesting answer. What is the basis for your answer? How can I verify it? >>

You could buy a book or a 1792 half disme.

MrHalfDime · February 17, 2013 6:18AM

"I think that you and I are the only two people to undersrtand the question."

Au contraire, my friend. I have thought of little else since the OP first posted his intriguing question. Yes, all 1792 half dismes exhibit diagonal reeding (except the unique copper trial piece), but which way do the reeds lean? MsMorrisine was quick to point out that, of course, it does not matter whether you " ... are looking at the obverse or the reverse", as questioned by LanceNewmanOCC, but the original question still remains - which way do the reeds lean? Unfortunately, I do not have one to look at. I have looked at several examples, up close and personal, but I honestly cannot remember the direction of the reeds. And I would venture to guess that most extant 1792 half dismes are entombed in plastic, never to give up their secret. Who would volunteer to crack out their half disme in order to resolve our curiosity? I have searched my rather extensive library of half dime (and half disme) literature, and can find no indication as to which way the diagonal reeding leans. I will keep looking.

MrHalfDime · February 17, 2013 6:25AM

"I had read that half dismes were not struck until 1795, although there were some dated 1794. Where did the 1792 come from? Was that independently minted?

You may be confusing your half dismes with half dimes here. It is generally believed that all 1794 half dimes (the first half dimes struck in large quantities for general circulation) were struck in 1795. But the half dismes were struck only in 1792, in July of that year, under the official authority of the United States Mint, but actually struck in the basement of John Harper's saw shop, at the corner of Sixth and Cherry Streets in Philadelphia, just a coupe of blocks from the new First Mint, which was under construction at the time.

CaptHenway · February 17, 2013 6:28AM

<< "I think that you and I are the only two people to undersrtand the question."

Au contraire, my friend. I have thought of little else since the OP first posted his intriguing question. Yes, all 1792 half dismes exhibit diagonal reeding (except the unique copper trial piece), but which way do the reeds lean? MsMorrisine was quick to point out that, of course, it does not matter whether you " ... are looking at the obverse or the reverse", as questioned by LanceNewmanOCC, but the original question still remains - which way do the reeds lean? Unfortunately, I do not have one to look at. I have looked at several examples, up close and personal, but I honestly cannot remember the direction of the reeds. And I would venture to guess that most extant 1792 half dismes are entombed in plastic, never to give up their secret. Who would volunteer to crack out their half disme in order to resolve our curiosity? I have searched my rather extensive library of half dime (and half disme) literature, and can find no indication as to which way the diagonal reeding leans. I will keep looking. >>

One of the few advantages of the much-maligned prong-type slabs!

coindeuce · February 17, 2013 6:46AM

Wouldn't it be simple enough to contact the curator of the A.N.A. Money Museum for a quick determination? It is my understanding that the (AU?) example which Contursi donated to the Money Museum in 2012 is in an NGC holder, perhaps an Edge View holder?

JohnHarper · February 17, 2013 7:05AM

To Deliabug: Thank you for the suggestion. What book do you recommend?

ricko · February 17, 2013 7:07AM

Thanks MrHalfDime....you are correct....Cheers, RickO

DeliaBug · February 17, 2013 7:14AM

<< To Deliabug: Thank you for the suggestion. What book do you recommend? >>

I can not located my copy right now to confirm but the Krause World Coins books series list edge varieties by 'slanted left' and 'slanted right' and they cover all U. S. issues. If I can find it and verify it's in there, I'll let you know.

Flatwoods · February 17, 2013 7:14AM

coindeuce · February 17, 2013 8:04AM

<< 

<< 

<< .
are you looking at the obv or the rev?
. >>

doesn't mater.

the lean will be the same if the coin is flipped over >>

Right. So the question is still valid. Regardless of whether the coin is face up or facce down, as you look at it edge on, does the reeding lean to the left\\ or to the right/////? >>

Maybe my perception is skewed, but since the edge reeding would have been applied to the half disme by Castaing machine (close collar didn't exist yet); would it be plausible that the coins could have been placed in the Castaing machine in either orientation? Has edge lettering on early Federal coinage demonstrated a random position A or position B ?

MrHalfDime · February 17, 2013 8:37AM

In order to properly visualize this, and to positively convince yourself, try a little demonstration. Start with any cylindrical object that you can easily find around the house, such as the plastic spool from a Scotch tape dispenser, a plastic lid from a milk container, or even a cardboard toilet paper tube; the specific cylinder used really doesn't matter. The cylinder will represent the coin blank planchet. Around the perimeter of the cylinder, make a series of parallel slash marks, either forward slash ( / ) or reverse slash ( ), continuing around the perimeter of the cylinder. Set the cylinder down on a desk top and look at the slash marks, making note of the direction of the lean of the slash marks, either left or right. Now pick up the cylinder, turn it over, and set it back down. Look at the slash marks, and voila!, they lean the very same way. Now imagine that the toilet paper tube or whatever you used for a cylinder, was a blank planchet. Once the Castaing machine imparted the diagonal reeds on the edge of the planchet, it would not matter which side was up when the the coin was later struck. The reeds would always lean the same way. If you're not convinced, try it yourself.

CaptHenway · February 17, 2013 9:02AM

What he says.

coindeuce · February 17, 2013 9:05AM

Thanx for the clarification MrHalfDime.

The OP apparently was trying to determine if the diagonal direction of the edge reeds could only have been oriented one way for the type, as an aid in authentication. A claim was made that an orientation opposite that of the Contursi / A.N.A. specimen had been observed.

JohnHarper · February 25, 2013 7:36AM

Yesterday I received a picture of the edge of a 1792 half disme from the Stewart Independence Hall collection. The reeding slants left (\\). Earlier I had looked at a picture of the edge on the Contursi - ANA specimen. The reeding appears to slant right (////). Yesterday I realized that the ANA picture was taken using a flashlight reflector. The mirror reverses the appearance of the slant. Today Doug Mudd confirmed that the ANA coin has the same slant as the Stewart coin. I now believe that left slanting reeding (\\) is authentic.

If anyone finds a 1792 half disme with right slanting reeding (////) I would be very interested to hear about it. Be aware that a mirror can reverse the image and Photoshop can also flip an image.

CaptHenway · February 25, 2013 8:14AM

Thanks for the update.

1792 reeded edge

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