Question About Wide AM Cents

Thanks for the quick reply!

Joe

Coop
Where did you get that video of me after I found the 82 DDR?

Richard

They will only be on the Philadelphia cents. It isn't possible for there to be Denver mint WAM cents. The WAM cents are struck using dies that were hubbed with designs intended for proof dies. Only Philadelphia has those hubs or creates those dies. (Philadelphia makes all of the dies for themselves and for San Francisco and West Point. The WAM was created when a die intended for proofs got mixed with business strike dies, and at least one business strike die accidently got shipped out with the proof dies as well.) In order for Denver to create WAM cents Philadelphia would have had to send them a Proof design master hub in which case all or nearly all of the Denver cents would have been WAM. And Philadelphia would have been wondering where the Proof master hub was.

Been there, done that. Just got finished with another post that explained while highly unlikely, it is still possible that D mint cents could have been struck with the Wide AM style reverse. One thing that must be examined here is the fact that there is NO PROOF that the reverse dies used in this fiasco were intended for proof strikes. They could have been old hold-over hubs from 1992 that were accidentally re-used to make new dies...and Denver DID MINT Wide AM 1992 cents. It is very possible that 1993, 1994, and so forth Wide AM Denver mint cents could exist.

We do have close-AM 1992-D cents...so why not the other way around?

To be safe, don't state something doesn't exist unless you witnessed every action the Mint made that makes it impossible. Two years ago that attitude would have generated an inaccuracy if someone asked you if there were any major doubled die reverses in 1982 cents. The natural answer would have been 'no' - but it would have been wrong.

But in 92 Denver wasn't making their own dies. They were getting them from Philadelphia where they were making both the Wide AM dies for 1992 and the Close AM dies for 1993. Very easy to ship the wrong dies to Denver. In 1998 Denver was making their own dies and only receiving the Master hubs from Philadelphia. They would not have had the old Wide AM 1992 hubs because if they still existed they would be in Philly. And if you have your own die shop and you are making dies all through the year and possibly stockpiling for the next year it is unlikely you would be asking other mints to send you dies.

I will agree though that you are right and I shouldn't say that it CAN'T happen, just that it is highly unlikely to happen and that no examples have ever been reported. I must learn not to speak in absolutes.