Ok- New photo thread idea. Show your DIES! *Update: Some good posts/pics inside!

Heres my only one so far.

I can email an image of a bust half dollar die if someone wants to see it, but can't post it due to size limitations and natural incompetence.

This thread is off to a great start.

I took this pic at the CC Mint:

The image I mentioned is for an obverse die of an 1809 half dollar, which was used on O.108, 109 and 110. It is in sad shape, was used to make some restrikes or mules at a later date. A write up on those can be found at ANR.

Link

Unfortunately, the image is embedded in another file and I can't figure out how to extract it. I sent it to Jade last year, and he may still have it.

<< <i>It's easy to forget that it takes THREE dies to strike a coin. Here's one you don't see every day -- a collar die (for a quarter, as it happens). You can see the portion where it was canceled with a blowtorch.



...and you reminded me that there's a another thread from last year that I need to update, so I won't duplicate that pic here. >>



I've actually seen a nickel one before on eBay. I wuz gunna snipe it, but my cruddy dial-up didn't go through for me. I think it ended for $90 less than what my max bid would have been. Edited to say that I would have been outbid too

What I'd like to see is a die for the incuse gold Indian design. That would be pretty neat.

I agree they're not much to look at, but defaced dies (fully grinded off surfaces)
are still interesting examples of the minting process, and they make excellent
paperweights for your desk!!

I bought about 20,000 defaced dies (cents on up) from the Denver Mint in 1995,
and have sold about half of 'em thru marketing companies.....

Still have 5 55-gallon steel drums filled with the rest in my garage!

If I don't sell them before I die, whoever buys my house is gonna be real upset
when they find them in the garage, and they can't move them!!

(I had someone go thru them when I got them trunked here to Los Angeles,
and we actually found 50-60 of them with some portion of design still left on
the die....)

Fred

Dennis,

Do you still have the image of that 1809 die?

<< <i>This is an original Feuchtwanger 1C obverse die (die #2). According to our research, this is the only Feuchtwanger die known for any variety or denomination. Rare. >>


That's freaking awesome Dennis!!!

<< <i>Here is a die for my Sacagawea dollar. This was one of the official entrants into the limited invitational design competition conducted by the US Mint. My reverse Eagle design was one of seven finalists for the actual coin.

Note the two rim die chips on the die at 6:00. There is also a small die break on Sacagawea's nose.
The coin pictured was struck from this die after one of the chips had formed, but before the second chip formed.
>>



Mr. Carr,

How do you "carve" the image on the die? Is it laser etched? Do you carve it with a Foredom? I have a few of your coins and really like them. But I always wondered how you do it.

Jonathan

<< <i>

<< <i>Here is a die for my Sacagawea dollar. This was one of the official entrants into the limited invitational design competition conducted by the US Mint. My reverse Eagle design was one of seven finalists for the actual coin.

Note the two rim die chips on the die at 6:00. There is also a small die break on Sacagawea's nose.
The coin pictured was struck from this die after one of the chips had formed, but before the second chip formed.
>>



Mr. Carr,

How do you "carve" the image on the die? Is it laser etched? Do you carve it with a Foredom? I have a few of your coins and really like them. But I always wondered how you do it.

Jonathan >>



Hi Jonathan,

A laser can be used to cut clean through a piece of steel. But it is no good at cutting to controlled depths as on a die like this.

For several years, I worked on writing a computer program that allows me to sculpt coins in 3D digitally. Used it to sculpt this Sacagawea dollar in 1999. I have a computer-controlled milling machine and my sculpting program can output the controls to run it.
I carve 8.5" diameter 3D coin models that are then mounted on a reduction lathe to make dies using a purely-mechanical transfer process (no hand engraving involved). Here is what the 8.5" 3D models look like:

Mike Wallace's Small Dollars web site

<< <i>
>>



Looks like PEACE replaced In God We Trust

<< <i>f I don't sell them before I die, whoever buys my house is gonna be real upset when they find them in the garage, and they can't move them!! >>

@dcarr said:
Here is a die for my Sacagawea dollar. This was one of the official entrants into the limited invitational design competition conducted by the US Mint. My reverse Eagle design was one of seven finalists for the actual coin.

Note the two rim die chips on the die at 6:00. There is also a small die break on Sacagawea's nose.
The coin pictured was struck from this die after one of the chips had formed, but before the second chip formed.

Just ran across this while searching for Sacagawea photos. Great seeing the die that went with the silver and brass pieces I have. Do you still have the die or is it no longer around?