Anyone know anything about GM roller press cents?

mrearlygold · March 30, 2004 11:42PM

It's been awhile since I owned one or saw one for that matter. Anyone here have any photos and recent prices realized/history?

Thanks!

TP

Conder101 · March 31, 2004 1:30AM

I've always wanted one of those and I've bid on them from time to time but I've always come up short. The odd thing is that usually when I run across them the owner hasn't got a clue as to what they are.

mrearlygold · March 31, 2004 1:44AM

They're really cool. I've owned a half dozen of them and sold them to customers of mine in the 250- 350 range ( red ones). But nobody wants to sell them back.......

Rgrds
TP

Conder101 · March 31, 2004 2:04AM

If you run into another in that range I'd like to another customer who won't sell it back.

mrearlygold · March 31, 2004 3:04AM

Hahahaha sure. That was a few years ago ( before Bowers ( the real Bowers) did a small promotion on them). I'm getting old.......er.

Rgrds
TP

richbeat · March 31, 2004 4:21PM

David Lange's "Complete Guide To Lincoln Cents" has excellent info on these cents with several photos. There were apparently five trial runs of the press. The first trial "cent" has GM on one side and MD on the other side. The second and third trial "cents" have a partially mutilated Lincoln obverse on one side and MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT STAFF on the other side. The only differences in the second and third trials are the diameters and weights (and a different partially mutilated Lincoln obverse). The fourth trial uses a partially mutilated Lincoln obverse with MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT STAFF on the other side. STAFF is inside a rectangle with five dots above. The fifth and final trial shows a female portrait facing left with a wreath design on the other side. Both sides of the fifth trial have gibberish letters and numerals that approximate the placement of the lettering and numerals on a Lincoln cent. According to Lange, actual cents were struck with the press during 1969, and possibly as early as 1968. They are virtually indistinguishable from cents struck on the conventional presses. They tend to have uniformly thick edges. The GM press actually worked very well, striking cents much faster than the conventional presses, but its downfall was twofold. 1) Premature die failure, and 2) Whenever a die had to be replaced the entire run had to be stopped; the other dies could not continue to strike cents while the defective die was being replaced. Torque was also a problem.

Conder101 · March 31, 2004 9:28PM

Thanks Richbeat, the only ones I knew about were those pieces from the fifth trial run. I'll have to file that info away and see what else I can turn up in token junk lots.

mrearlygold · March 31, 2004 10:59PM

Anybody here have one to show?

Rgrds
TP

richbeat · April 2, 2004 5:31PM

Thanks, conder. Here's a little more info that I left out. The nonsense lettering and numbers on the fifth trial are not totally nonsense. The gibberish contains codes that identify the dies.

The Mint has never acknowledged what happened to the actual cents that were coined from the GM press, whether they were released into circulation, or melted.

All of the cent prototypes are in medal alignment.

First Trial Run--June 1964 Weight 64.2 grains Diameter .801 inch. Two known examples.

Second Trial Run--August 1964 Weight 61.6 grains Diameter .790 inch.

Third Trial Run--January 1965 Weight 72.1 grains Diameter .813 inch.

Fourth Trial Run--Summer or Fall 1965 Weight 3.52 grams Diameter .807 inch.

Fifth Trial Run--1967 or early 1968 Weight 3.11 grams Diameter .748 inch.

A smaller, prototype version of the GM press was used for the first four trial runs. The results were encouraging enough that a full scale version was built and used for the fifth trial run and the actual cents that were produced in 1969.

mrearlygold · April 2, 2004 11:19PM

Thanks richbeat. I didn't know about these earlier strikings. Are any of them different?

Where did you locate the info?

Rgrds
TP

shylock · April 2, 2004 11:47PM

Stacks had one in their March Catalog that sold for $950. Ken Potter has some more images and info on his site.

mrearlygold · April 3, 2004 12:46AM

Hey Thanks a lot Paul!

Rgrds
TP

gonzer · April 3, 2004 2:04AM

My understanding is the debate over the validity of the 1969-s DDO Lincoln has to do with the roller press. I'm foggy on the facts so if anyone can shed some light on this...

BurritoGrande · April 3, 2004 2:14AM

Thanks, everybody. I had never heard most of this. Very interesting

mrearlygold · April 3, 2004 2:28AM

<< <i>My understanding is the debate over the validity of the 1969-s DDO Lincoln has to do with the roller press. I'm foggy on the facts so if anyone can shed some light on this... >>

No the thread's original thoughts had nothing to do with lincoln cents.

TP

MrEureka · April 3, 2004 5:41AM

Photo from USPatterns.com. More info available there.

And a related trinket...

richbeat · April 3, 2004 5:17PM

mrearlygold:

The info comes from David Lange's "Complete Guide To Lincoln Cents." A book well worth picking up.

Andy:

Thanks for the pics! I didn't think to check your site. Interesting to note that your pic of the fifth trial run has 22 scratched into the die to the left of the female portrait, and M to the right. In Lange's book, his photo has 1 to the left of the portrait and L to the right.

richbeat · April 3, 2004 5:25PM

gonzer:

There shouldn't be any connection to the GM press and the 1969S DDO cents. After the full scale press was built and the fifth trial run was conducted (sometime in early 1968), the press was transferred to the new Philadelphia Mint which was still under construction.

mrearlygold · December 5, 2007 6:56AM

STILL looking for a few of these. I bought 1 and still own it. Should we scan it and show you all what the dang thing looks like?

This is an oooooold thread, new post

pf70collector · December 5, 2007 7:03AM

mrearlygold · December 5, 2007 7:10AM

<< <i>I believe ANR now Stacks did have a few up for auction a few years back. >>

The 1 I bought came from an ANR auction

Anyone know anything about GM roller press cents?

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