Never Seen This On A Kennedy.... (New Pic Up)

Have you tried playing it backwards on a record player...it might tell you who the second shooter was!

Elaborate.... Lathe lines?

I've seen a few of these so called lathe marks.
When would a lathe have been used on either blank stock
or a planchet ?

Remember the die face is flat and the design elements are incuse on the die (for these coins, anyway). The lathe may have been used on the surface to trim and create a flat surface. Roughness like this, if caused by a lathe, can be caused by the lathe movement being too fast, trying to take off too much metal at once, or the bit simply needing ground or its position adjusted.

I can't offer further information on the origin on Lathe Lines, but as for desirability, maybe. I've seen a number of examples posted in various forums and understand they're out there, but I too have never come across an example, at least not that I'm aware of. BUT- I think their aesthetic appeal demands attention and perhaps collectibility. Quite honestly, I'd be far more apt to offer a bold example of Lathe Lines than a wavy step variety. If a customer or cherrypicker offered me a striking example like the one pictured, I'd try to buy it.

Why aren't examples more prevalent? The detail of the lines is quite fine, much more so than the detail of most respectable doubled dies. In my own way of thinking, it would stand to reason that such fine detail would wear off of the die quickly, or at least the majority of it. If wouldn't surprise me if Die Trails were somehow connected, but there's not enough information on the origin of those for conjecture.

Tough to know if Lathe Lines are something that can be cataloged, but I don't think it would be impossible for a motivated expert to do on a site.

For the record, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to actively pursue examples of Lathe Lines. Don't know if there'll be strong appeal from collectors, but it's an anomaly that I think is quite attractive when full and complete like the example shown. Most examples I've seen have been on cents, but the half is very nice. Lathe Lines don't always show fully.

I know that nobody asked, and it may upset some, but I don't wanna hear it- just skip the next paragraph if you're easily disturbed or already fully disturbed.

Value and appeal of a coin ARE important factors, and this is really the area that I have expertise in. Value, or what someone would be willing to pay, can shed a lot of light on the collectability of a coin. If I had some in front of me, I'd offer in the range of $5 for an example on a cent obverse, probably $15 for a half dollar just like the example shown (this is not an offer to buy). These prices would ONLY be for the bold examples like this half, and only for BU examples with fully concentric lines showing. I think that faint or partial Lathe Lines would be far less desirable, as would a late stage die clash. Perhaps they could command more, but I'd be confident in picking them up for this price.

One more point, I think this type would only be desirable in Uncirculated conditions, it seems that a little friction could erase most of it.

I mean it- if estimated values offend you, don't whine or get mad, just don't read it. Believe me, there's plenty of posts that I don't read, and I may be better off for it.

VERY COOL COIN! Thanks for sharing it with everyone!


*The above is not an offer to buy, but an open and honest commentary from my perspective*

Edited to show the emotion coursing through my veins!

I was always with the thought that the lathe lines were on the stock material of the dies and were not polished off before the hubbing took place. Thus it wasn't a materdie or even a hub transfer. It was just a die stock that was not finished before the hubbing began. Thus just one die displaying the lathe lines.

Are you finding them limited to any one year?

The lincoln cents seem to be generally limited to 1996D. I have a couple dozen examples in BU, and have never seen it on a different issue.