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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,057 |
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Valued Member
United States
187 Posts |
I recently got six Harrison dollars from the bank. When I looked them over I saw that four of the six had the edge lettering up side down when the coin is held with the obverse up. The other two had the edge lettering right side up when viewed the same way. Some of my other Presidential dollars are like this also. Is this common for the mint to manufacture this way? If so, how is this happening at the mint. All of the Presidential dollars I have are from the Philadelphia mint. Thanks for any information. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The edge lettering is not applied at the same time the coin is struck, it is done in a separate process so the orientation is completely random. The proof coins do have the lettering oriented up with the face but they are struck using a method that is different from the business strikes.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1943 Posts |
The edge lettering is put on after the coin is struck. Orietation of obverse up or reverse up is random.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
The 13 stars edge is the new style now, so that's normal.
As for the direction of the edges, both up or down have a statistical 50% chance of happening. Just depends on which direction it was facing when it was struck.
They make the blanks, then make the rims with the lettering, and then go into a big hopper. The hopper then just dumps them to be struck, regardless of the lettering direction, so there you go.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
The coins are fed into another machine to have the edge lettering put on. This happens after the coin has been struck. So whether or not the lettering is upside down or right side up depends upon how it is orientated going into the edge lettering machine. As long as all the letters are clear there is no added value. Beware of those who would like you believe it is an error.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
 We were all over this one. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Really? It's struck and then lettered? I though it was lettered when it went through the upsetting mill!
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Valued Member
United States
377 Posts |
Quote:
In the first step, the blanks are fed into a coining machine which strikes the obverse and reverse designs onto the coins, and dispenses the coins into a large bin. In the second step, the bin is transported to the edge-incusing machine, into which the coins are fed at random, without regard to their "heads" or "tails" orientation. copied from http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs...=EdgeIncused |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
Really? It's struck and then lettered? I though it was lettered when it went through the upsetting mill! Struck and then lettered. If they did it the other way around the edge lettering would be crushed by compression against the collar when the coin was struck. |
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Valued Member
 United States
187 Posts |
Hey guys. Thanks for the information. I had no idea it was a two strike process like that. Just assumed the obverse, reverse, and edge were struck at the same time. I was at the Philadelphia mint a few years ago, but that was before the Presidential dollars were being minted. The tour was very interesting. Thanks again. |
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,057 |
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Posted 03/11/2009 8:16 pm
