Posted 08/29/2022 7:14 pm
Solid 64
Nice luster
Typical 3 C's -- clashes, cracks, and crumbling denticles/rims -- those are die defects, not coin defects, and don't affect the grade.
A few lightly scattered reverse and obverse marks just keep it out of 65. The fully struck "III" is a nice sight.
This series - and its larger 5 cent cousin - is a good demonstration of the Mint's ongoing inability to find a workable solution to "the nickel problem" that had been giving them grief in one form or another since the 75/25 copper/nickel alloy went into use in 1865.
Among other issues (e.g. the general design and low central relief of the wreath reverse coins), techniques simply were not advanced enough yet to sink dies durable enough to withstand the striking of the high-nickel alloy coins in large quantities. Cranking up the strike pressure to try to make the coins look at least somewhat non-mushy resulted in a ton of cracked, chipped and broken dies that were ground, polished and thrown back into service again.
Nice luster
Typical 3 C's -- clashes, cracks, and crumbling denticles/rims -- those are die defects, not coin defects, and don't affect the grade.
A few lightly scattered reverse and obverse marks just keep it out of 65. The fully struck "III" is a nice sight.
This series - and its larger 5 cent cousin - is a good demonstration of the Mint's ongoing inability to find a workable solution to "the nickel problem" that had been giving them grief in one form or another since the 75/25 copper/nickel alloy went into use in 1865.
Among other issues (e.g. the general design and low central relief of the wreath reverse coins), techniques simply were not advanced enough yet to sink dies durable enough to withstand the striking of the high-nickel alloy coins in large quantities. Cranking up the strike pressure to try to make the coins look at least somewhat non-mushy resulted in a ton of cracked, chipped and broken dies that were ground, polished and thrown back into service again.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890
"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
Edited by paralyse
08/29/2022 8:12 pm
08/29/2022 8:12 pm
