Dusting Off Some Copper from my Personal Collection

Thank you everyone. I truly have enjoyed collecting these - they are my pride and joy.

Walker, yes I did "cherry pick" that 1869/69 - it wasn't attributed and the dealer I bought it from didn't know it was the overdate.

I don't really have one favorite because, as I mentioned, each one has something unique that I like. My favorite type of toning is the lustrous iridescent brown, like the 1914-D and 1955/55, but I also like the unusual toning on the 1867/67 and the 1894/94.

I bought the 1886 clamshell raw not knowing it had a split planchet until I removed it from the 2x2. I also love the 1887 strike thru which I also bought raw - it's one of the most bold strike-thrus I've seen. My favorite variety is the 1880 off center die clash. And the 1864-L engrailed rim is probably one of the first coins I bought for my collection, and was definitely the first piece of "exonumia" I bought - and it now appears in my "Penny Potpourri" exhibit (which I will be setting up again at the Houston Money show next week). It was engrailed post-minting, probably for decorative use, perhaps as a love token. It was extremely well done, and I've never seen another one like it.

The 1864 Bronze MS66 BN is the S-11 variety. Rick Snow explains in his Attribution Guide that the lathe lines could have been created from "an old die which was re-engraved for some reason. It may have been expedient to re-engrave the design directly into this working die to bring out the design. Any lines cut into the die would be very difficult to smooth out, so they were left in."

The 1880 off center die clash is S-1. The Attribution Guide states that "the clash was made prior to the die being hubbed. This means that a hardened reverse die was hand struck into a softened blank die. Why would anyone do that? One could imagine a worker picking up a blank die and hitting it with a finished die that was known to be the proper hardness. Clang! He could make a clash mark in this way just us- ing hand strength. The impression of the denticles are visible well into the design on the E in ONE. The clash is partially obliterated on either side of the wreath. This shows that there was metal movement on the die after the clash was made." Keyman - this is probably the 1909 you were referring to - I picked it up from Broadstruck in Baltimore because he remembered that I had the 1942 and thought they would fit nicely together - which they do!: