This Franklin was hammered

Meltdown · June 28, 2008 1:30AM

Check out the reverse on this. I hope it shows up in the pictures as well as it does in person. You can see Ben's profile clearly and the back of his head around the Liberty Bell. I bought it raw yesterday, the seller had it graded MS 63 - I think it's better than that, it has awesome luster and few contact marks.

Windycity · June 28, 2008 1:33AM

THATS NICE!

Shamika · June 28, 2008 1:34AM

Hmmm.... While I don't doubt the luster, I wouldn't exactly call that hammered. Franklin's curl is completely missing and I the lettering on the Bell doesn't appear legible. The Bell Lines do appear better than average.

garsmith · June 28, 2008 1:34AM

Very early die state, maybe a first strike!

Meltdown · June 28, 2008 1:39AM

<< <i>Hmmm.... While I don't doubt the luster, I wouldn't exactly call that hammered. Franklin's curl is completely missing and I the lettering on the Bell doesn't appear legible. The Bell Lines do appear better than average. >>

Good point. It is unusual to see the profile through the reverse though isn't it?

Dawg144 · June 28, 2008 1:45AM

For a 53-S, I'd say it's more or less hammered.

Shamika · June 28, 2008 2:03AM

<< <i>

<< <i>Hmmm.... While I don't doubt the luster, I wouldn't exactly call that hammered. Franklin's curl is completely missing and I the lettering on the Bell doesn't appear legible. The Bell Lines do appear better than average. >>

Good point. It is unusual to see the profile through the reverse though isn't it? >>

Now that you say it, I think you're right. The coin is probably well struck, but any weakness is due to poor dies as opposed to poor die spacing.

WoodenJefferson · June 28, 2008 6:19AM

Are you saying that the areas that I have indicated are raised up off the surface of the fields or is the light refracting differently off the cartwheel effect?

Meltdown · June 28, 2008 6:20AM

Cool. Yes those are the raised surfaces. In hand, you can clearly make out the nose & lip profile as well as the curve from the back of his hair.

SkyMan · June 28, 2008 6:35AM

Swampboy · June 28, 2008 6:43AM

I have a Lincoln cent with this same effect.
The obverse is well struck and Lincoln's profile is as evident on the reverse as is Franklin's.

Can someone explain why (how)this happens?

lope208 · June 28, 2008 7:03AM

Would this be considered a "thin planchet" or is it just struck with extra force? And if this is the case,
why don't we see it more on modern proof coins?

kryptonitecomics · June 28, 2008 7:55AM

The coin doesn't look well struck to me but I can see the profile on the reverse which is quite strange so I have no clue what's up with this coin but I sure you got it cheap and it's a very interesting coin to have regardless.

leothelyon · June 28, 2008 9:19AM

<< <i>I have a Lincoln cent with this same effect.
The obverse is well struck and Lincoln's profile is as evident on the reverse as is Franklin's.

Can someone explain why (how)this happens? >>

I'll give it a try..........usually the reverse die is stationary and the obverse die is the hammer. To keep the planchet on top of the reverse die a collar is used. The collar does two things. one, it maintains the correct diameter of the coin when the hammer comes down and two, it holds the planchet in place.
Keep in mind that everything that's involved in the striking process is in precise, exact measurements of the planchet size and weight but they are all not perfectly the same, pounds per square inch (psi) in the force of the hammer, the diameter measurements of the dies, collars etc.
So here we go, a planchet enters the collar and down comes the hammer. In the early life of the die all details are present but as thousand of coins are struck, the dies, the details in the dies get flatten out. Remember, the same sized planchet receiving the same psi force of the obverse hammer die onto the stationary reverse die will result is a nicely struck coin. Why? Because the exact amount of metal has flowed into the exact amont of space allowed in the details of the working die. But when the ends of the working dies flatten out, losing most of it's intended design, heavy compaction takes place when there's no place for the metal to flow, driving the obverse design (what's left of it) out the backside (the reverse side). This compaction, if left unchecked, will break the dies. This result or action likely has a name for it. I do know that coins without most of it's intended design are called misnomers. And if the result is worse where they don't leave the mint, they are called currants which are recycled. Whatever they're called, as amazing as this may be but both have been certified especially the misnomers on a daily basis and sell on the market for thousands of dollars.

Leo

Meltdown · June 28, 2008 10:05AM

Wow. Thanks Leo, very informative.

sommerj · June 28, 2008 10:26AM

i like it..

dac076 · June 28, 2008 10:35AM

Interesting explanation, thanks. I wouldn't have thought that. After all, as the die wears material is removed, which over time would actually result in a (slightly) larger space between the obverse and reverse dies. I wonder if any adjustments are ever made by the press operator to compensate for die wear?