Found my first so-called "Tiger Claw" IKE error the other day..I have a dealer who sells me 10 IKE rolls when we hookup...I get to search through them, keep what I want, and, sell the rest off...not a bad way to hunt for varieties & error IKES...the theory about the TIGER CLAW(named for the Cat-like scratches through WE on Obverse, and, remnants of clashing near the D mint mark), is that this is a Die-State IKE Variety likely created by a skipping rotary hand abrading tool that got away from the die setter during post-clash repairs! The wheel caught, and skipped laterally, then, ran and skipped and ran across the die, or, so the thinking goes...feel free to post your ideas on how these raised lines(incuse in original die, from the cuts, if that's what caused them.) were formed...maybe somebody has another theory? All Tiger Claw IKES have a small grade B talon head clash, as my coin does..at this point, according to the information in chapter 7 of the new IKE book, by lead Author Rob Ezerman, there are 2 die marriages known for this IKE.
My obverse is Very Late Die state, with lots of flow lines present....(the reverse is a fresh die, perhaps still in Early Die state, or, leaving that into Middle die state(or somewhere in between, I'm still studying, and understanding Die States, it's challenging, to say the least!)..Estimated mintage is roughly 80,000 coins. The obverse die is paired with 2 known reverse dies..the 1st die has a partial Jaw-Line in a localized field of coarse abrasion and it's die state seems to match the obverse die state, according to Ezerman, the earliest for this pair being somewhere in mid-LDS, the latest in VLDS.
The second reverse is a fresh die, which ages into LDS and VLDS, as it's paired obverse continues to move into more advanced VLDS and VVLDS. I have a fresh reverse, with minimal die flow lines, yet, WITH a jaw line, and, small abrading lines near the earth are present, AND, 2 substantial die gouges, the first from E in ONE, up to crater #2, and, a 2ND, running from the first L in DOLLAR, up to crater #3(left to right, as viewed), neither of which is mentioned in the chapter, so, I am looking into perhaps a 3rd new die marriage with this exciting IKE coin.
Calvin G.
Posted 09/22/2011 05:27 am
