Just Bob

Those are some really nice circulation finds.

To me, they are as distracting as scratches. I feel the same about planchet adjustment marks on early gold and silver coins. That doesn't mean that I would never add one to my collection. It does mean that, given a choice between coins with and without die polish lines (or planchet adjustment marks), I would choose the coin without. Oddly, there are other things that are distracting to many collectors that don't really bother me, like fingerprints.

Here we go......

The most likely explanation is that the round indention on the obverse was caused by a coin rolling machine. The fact that it is the same size as the circular design on the reverse is a happy (or unhappy) coincidence.

I did a quick search of sold items on Ebay, and found that off-center broad struck cents are selling for $10-$30 on average. Blank cent planchets are going for around $3. Better pics are needed to see if that is actually a clipped planchet error (do some reading on the "Blakesley Effect.) It is hard to get a feel for what a real one might bring, because a lot of the ones listed on Ebay, including the ones that have sold, do not look like actual clipped planchet errors. Most look homemade, to me. That being said, it looks like you might could get $5-$10 or so for yours, if it is real. (For the record, I am not implying that you made the clipped planchet. Just saying that I can't tell if it is a genuine mint error or not from just that one picture of the obverse.)

Thanks. I have been wanting to see some coins that have been confirmed by a member to have actually been found in a dryer. You can find pictures labeled as "dryer coins" all over the place, but you never know if the coins were really found in a dryer, or if they were found elsewhere and just given that label.

Please post pictures of those, Hog.

Nice pickups!

I'm sorry. I realize this has nothing to do with me, but I really don't understand. Why would you need to see this or any coin in hand to know if NGC would grade it or not? Isn't there a list of coins/tokens/medals that they do or do not encapsulate? If you looked at a picture of a Morgan dollar, or an Ethiopian birr, or a Dix civil war token, you would be able to look on your list and say, "yep, we grade those." How is this coin any different?

In the description, it states, "Cert #s will vary." The seller could be using a stock photo that he/she made by combining pictures of two different slabs. The fact that there are two different backgrounds in the NGC pic makes me wonder if they didn't mix up their photos, too. Regardless, I am always wary when things don't seem completely on the up-an-up. I would find another seller if I were looking to buy one of these. Good eye. Welcome to the forum.

Motor City Madman?

Nothing in Rulau that I could find. I don't have a copy of Brunk's counterstamp book, but Rich Hartzog's old website has a master list of the merchants in the book, and I could not find a JAP on that list. Sorry

Same thing, different terminology. PCGS uses deep cameo; NGC uses ultra cameo.

From Russell Rulau's U.S Merchant Tokens 1845-1860: "George Clark was a blacksmith at 118 Wistar St., listed 1857-1875

Click here for a short article explaining the difference between proof coins and circulation strike coins: Link

It seems to me that if the reverse was struck through a grease-filled die, it would still have a proto rim, since that would have been formed before the planchet entered the coining chamber. Since the rim appears to be worn even with the surface of the coin around almost the entire circumference, my vote is post-mint damage. The lack of scratches or other evidence of damage could be due to the coin spending some time in circulation after the fact.

Welcome to the forum. May we see a picture of the obverse side?

How do you choose a favorite between those two? Great looking pair!

I agree with VF

The Adams Lumber Company was incorporated in 1896 and operated a mill that the Adams brothers had built in 1892, located two miles south of Morton, Mississippi in Scott County. The mill remained in operation until 1904. This 5 cent token is unlisted. The only other known denomination is a $1.00 token.

The certificate is signed by the president of "Grumpy, Inc." Interesting name for a coin dealer, to be sure.

Congratulations! I'm glad I was wrong about it being damaged. About the Blakesley effect: it really doesn't matter the reason a section of the planchet is missing. The effect is caused by uneven pressure when the blank is run through the upsetting mill. But - and here is where my brain slipped a cog - this coin never went through that process. I should have given my answer a lot more thought before I responded. This thread has also reminded me that I need to do a lot more studying on 18th &19th century US and world coin manufacturing processes. Thank you for posting.

Not yet, I am afraid. And, you need to post a larger picture of your avatar coin (and your '47-S and your '62.) That blue is very pretty.