Die Destruction

Cladiator · January 29, 2007 4:50AM

So which series seems to be the most problematic for the dies that struck it. Meaning, which is the most plagued with cracks, cuds, fills, etc...?

My guess would be the Shield Nickel.

goose3 · January 29, 2007 4:52AM

would seem like the Morgans with the seemingly 10 million different vams.

Cladiator · January 29, 2007 4:54AM

<< <i>would seem like the Morgans with the seemingly 10 million different vams. >>

I thought of the Morgans but passed on them. Most of their issues seem on the minor side. Not a whole lot of gigantic cuds or massive spiderweb cracks (except around the legend). Morgans had butt loads of die deterioration issues but I don't see many terminal die state Morgans.

jmj3esq · January 29, 2007 5:03AM

I would say the 1921 P and D Morgan dies.

RWB · January 29, 2007 5:10AM

Double eagles from 1850 to 1877 had poor die life due to the extra pressure needed to fully strike the coins - the relief was higher than later issues. Die hardening was a problem and, like silver dollar dies, many dies either collapsed in the center, or cracked.

You don't see many defective $20 of this era because every coin was weighed and inspected after striking by a room full of female clerks "Selectors" or "Adjustors" depending on the era.

N.O. Mint silver dollars often have cracked dies because they used excess pressure. In turn that was their solution to improper softening of blanks due to obsolete and under-sized furnaces.

Longacre · January 29, 2007 5:21AM

I wonder if nickel, being a very hard metal, accounts for a greater pecentage of die failures. Very interesting question.

RWB · January 29, 2007 5:25AM

Shield 5-cents and CuNi 3-cents are well known for defective dies. During much of the Liberty-5 cent period, the mint bought annealed blanks from contractors.

I recall ex Denver Mint employee Michael Lantz commenting about how hard the clad pieces were to coin due to the alloy.

Cladiator · January 29, 2007 5:42AM

Now that I think of it the 3¢ nickel would be a candidate too. Good call LA and RWB.

Nysoto · January 29, 2007 6:14AM

In terms of how long dies lasted, all early US series were problematic. The 1794 halves needed 11 die marriages to strike 22,000 coins, and 1795's had 32 die marriages for 299,000 coins. The 1801-1807 halves also had a high failure rate. This is why I collect them

DHeath · January 29, 2007 6:17AM

The 2¢ pieces were notorious.

JRocco · January 29, 2007 8:28AM

<< <i>would seem like the Morgans with the seemingly 10 million different vams. >>

That is 10 million in EACH year of issue right goose...??

Die Destruction

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