I can't find anything on this coin...it is definitely a specimen finish but I can't find any mintage information on 1987 specimen finish loonies anywhere....I found it in circulation.
The pictures really don't do the coin justice....in person it is much more obvious that the vertical "machining" lines are there and the raised surface is bright and shiny...at least on the portrait side anyways. The vertical lines on loon side are very faint and the raised surfaces have no contrast to the background. What do I have here and WHERE did it come from? Please help!
I've been thinking about this since you posted it.
That doesn't look quite like the specimen finish from the specimen set of that year (which had the old nickel dollar). In fact it looks really low relief. I think you may have some other type of of mischief going on there, but I'm not sure what. That strike makes me think of a planchet that wasn't annealed before it was plated.
Other thoughts welcome, that's just about the only thing that came to mind for me.
I don't know what to think of it. I understand what you're saying with the mirrored devices and parallel lined background but in my mind, the lines are too coarse and the obverse devices are very mirror like (which may just be age), compare it to the 87 set or the 88 specimen dollar loonie.
There are no specimen finish loons for 87 or we wouldn't be having this conversation. Maybe they gave it a shot and didn't like it and then put the nickel dollar back in for it's final kick at the can? I don't know, I just think that the finish on the coin isn't quite like any of the other specimen dies that it is most closely related to age wise or denomination wise if you go up a year.
Might be worth having it looked at by a recognized expert.
I have found 3 of these also from circulation...They are in excellent condition with very nice lustre finish and very little marks on the fields. This 1987 is 26.50mm and 7.0 grams..
That was me feeling, because of course no specimen 1987 loonies were produced....perhaps it is one for future submission to a coin grading service for research. :\
If someone has a 1987 pliofilm set to check, that would be a likely place to find a dollar with a parallel lined background. The coins minted in Ottawa for sets often look a little different than the regular circulation coins.
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Posted 04/04/2011 5:36 pm
