How Were Date And Mint Mark Punches Made?

I suppose it could happen with a MM punch, but who would know or care.The results would look the same.

I think they did use 2 different S punches on 1981 SBA, cause there are clear S and filled S varieties.

I don't know how all punches were made, but I have read how date punches were made for 19th C. coins like the Indian Head cent. Digits were engraved into a block of tool steel. Then, punches made from soft steel were impressed into the negative digits, creating a positive digit form. The digits were hardened, grouped into a date. Using a small press, the date was impressed into the working die. If the date was positioned incorrectly, they would make a second impression. Afterwards, they would polish down the fields in the area to remove traces of the RPD. I only suspect the polishing was done afterwards because RPDs are more visible inside digits such as 3,6,8,9,0, where the die surface is pushed below the level of the fields. In other cases, when a broken hub or date punch was used, the digit or letter would be fixed directly on the die.

DV's answer is correct for 18th century and probably some early 19th century punches but I believe they used a different method by the time the Indian Head cents came along. (Although it may still have been used for individual punches)

Once the mint had their transfer reduction lathe they started creating date punches in the same way they created die hubs. There is a picture in one of the Gobrecht Journals of a hub with the date 1857 in four concentric circles each date in the same style and each circle the size of a different coin. This hub could then be cut to give you date punches of the exact same style and appropriate size for each denomination. Before 1840 the dates were punched into the dies using individual punches and the different denominations often used different font styles. After 1840 they used a four digit logotype punch and they started standardizing the punches using the same style on all coins. By the 1960's they had things fairly well standardized.

DV - If you look at 1881 cents, you will notice the 81 is tilted. Snow notes this in his book with a picture at the beginning of the series. So, the date punch hub for 1881 must have been off. He doesn't say it outright, but alludes that all 1881 cents have this characteristic. Proofs, too. I noticed this just last night.

If you have the book, the first photo he uses is from S5. More interestingly, he notes that the "doubling" under the 1 might be from the digit punch itself. So I guess I'm answering my own question in saying that the punches themselves could create a variety.

Yes, good point! I have the Snow guides too, but I'm overseas now and I can't refer to them directly.
I also remember some digits being tilted, and other digit defects seen on all business strikes--perhaps proofs too.
At the same time, I know of several dates I have studied carefully, where some dies use different punches.
The best example I can think of is 1888, where there are several digit styles used on the dies.
The "1" digit is different on some dies. I don't know the implications for a "date hub", but now I'm intrigued and will study this again when I get home.
Thanks everyone for the stimulating thread!


It could be a broken date punch. I seem to recall there was a broken punch in 1881 and 1882 that was repaired. Here is my 1882 with a broken 2 (Snow-2):

A new master date model would be made each year. This model could then be placed in the reducing lathe and duplicated in the center of a die blank for the size needed for a Three Cent Silver. When the center section was done you leave the cutter where it is, change the reduction ratio, reset the tracing point to a little inside the radius where the date begins on the master design and start again. The cutter will continue moving outward and cut a slightly larger exact copy of the date for say a dime. Change the ratio again and further out on the blank it cuts a larger copy for the quarter. Repeat for the half and dollar. When you are done you have a hub that has five identical copies of the date each one a little larger than the next stacked one above the other smallest in the center and the largest out by the edge. Now cut this hub apart into individual date punches and harden them. This method allows you to have one model and make the correct size punch for any denomination. At eh start of the year you can make all of the punches you need at once, and if a punch breaks or is damaged a new identical punch of the proper size can be created. Just use a smaller die blank and create the one punch you need.

Yes, Conder thanks for the explanation. Was this method used in 1881? Wouldn't that make the 81 tilted for all denominations, not just the cent?