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The lightbulb went off today about our 2016 100th Anniversary gold coins.

Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited February 5, 2019 10:49AM in U.S. Coin Forum

I have always wished the coins were larger. This just occurred to me today. I'll bet the Mint made these coins undersized on purpose so folks could not gold plate the normal vintage coins and pass them off in the plastic capsules as genuine specimens. What do you think?

PS Collectors know the fineness is on the originals but the non-collectors...

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    ms70ms70 Posts: 13,958 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If that's what they did it was good planning as it wouldn't have been the first time.

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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 43,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 5, 2019 10:57AM

    @Insider2 said:
    I have always wished the coins were larger. This just occurred to me today. I'll bet the Mint made these coins undersized on purpose so folks could not gold plate the normal vintage coins and pass them off in the plastic capsules as genuine specimens. What do you think?

    PS Collectors know the fineness is on the originals but the non-collectors...

    Except the Merc is pretty close to the same size, isn't it?

    I would think it was more a question of using their standard planchet sizes. I could look it up, but are the sizes the same as the Eagles?

    Okay, I looked it up.
    Standing Lib Quarter 24.3 mm
    Gold standing liberty quarter 22 mm
    $10 American Gold Eagle 22 mm

    Mercury Dime - 17.91 mm
    Gold mercury dime-16.5 mm
    $5 gold eagle - 16.5 mm

    Quid Erat Demonstratum

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    JBKJBK Posts: 17,902 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 5, 2019 11:17AM

    @Insider2 said:
    I have always wished the coins were larger. This just occurred to me today. I'll bet the Mint made these coins undersized on purpose so folks could not gold plate the normal vintage coins and pass them off in the plastic capsules as genuine specimens. What do you think?

    PS Collectors know the fineness is on the originals but the non-collectors...

    And non-collectors probably also don't know they aren't the same size, so the chance to deceive some people with plated coins still exists. ;)

    It is a nice theory and would make a lot of sense, but I assumed they just wanted to use standard gold planchets, as someone mentioned.

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    BackroadJunkieBackroadJunkie Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Insider2 said:
    I have always wished the coins were larger. This just occurred to me today. I'll bet the Mint made these coins undersized on purpose so folks could not gold plate the normal vintage coins and pass them off in the plastic capsules as genuine specimens. What do you think?

    PS Collectors know the fineness is on the originals but the non-collectors...

    They were made undersized to fit on 1/10, 1/4 and 1/2 ozt gold buff blanks. They're the same size and weight...

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    Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks. Economic reason must be the answer.

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    RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Suspect the reasons are what Backroadjunkie said, plus the difference in density of gold versus silver alloy, and avoiding a planchet this was too thin.

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    ChrisH821ChrisH821 Posts: 7,174 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 5, 2019 1:58PM

    Coinfacts pages for these coins are very sloppy.



    Collector, occasional seller

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    blitzdudeblitzdude Posts: 7,743 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What's up with those mintage numbers on the quarter and half? I thought they were capped at 100K?

    The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 34,202 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BackroadJunkie said:

    @Insider2 said:
    I have always wished the coins were larger. This just occurred to me today. I'll bet the Mint made these coins undersized on purpose so folks could not gold plate the normal vintage coins and pass them off in the plastic capsules as genuine specimens. What do you think?

    PS Collectors know the fineness is on the originals but the non-collectors...

    They were made undersized to fit on 1/10, 1/4 and 1/2 ozt gold buff blanks. They're the same size and weight...

    This, plus the collar dies plus the capsules and perhaps some other packaging.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
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    MrLeeMrLee Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭

    Sorry about your lightbulb.

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    ChrisH821ChrisH821 Posts: 7,174 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @blitzdude said:
    What's up with those mintage numbers on the quarter and half? I thought they were capped at 100K?

    Like I said, very sloppy. The 2015HR gold CF page shows a mintage of just 21,676, oddly specific, but final mintage was 49,325.

    Collector, occasional seller

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    batumibatumi Posts: 936 ✭✭✭✭

    I t might be more likely some 'craftsman' may get the idea to change the '2' in the date into a '1' then plate the coin in silver-especially with the SLQ.

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    BackroadJunkieBackroadJunkie Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here's the thread created on CU:

    2016 Centennial Gold 1916 coins (16XA, 16XB, 16XC)

    It was before the transition, so all the images are gone.

    It is also before I started putting in an informal index, so information is difficult to find, but at least it's all in one place....

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    Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MrLee said:
    Sorry about your lightbulb.

    Thanks but no need to be sorry. The bulb "went off." It did not go "out." Hopefully it will burn for a little

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