DWLange

Coin descriptions that were created after 2017 are done in mixed upper/lower, and those created prior to that time remain all caps. The earlier descriptions have not been retrofitted.

The date is 1983, but the coin is simply damaged and has no added value.

Your coin has the "1st Hair" style, so there are only four die marriages it could be. Two of these are very rare (NC for non-collectible), so that most likely leaves just S-190 or S-191. Try your own skills at attributing here: https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/cents/draped-bust-cents-1796-1807/?page=2

This could be the answer: http://varietyvista.com/01b LC Doubled Dies Vol 2/1970PDDO001.htm

That's a modern replica. These were not made to deceive anyone, and they're sometimes found for sale in museum gift shops. In the secondary market, however, they create a lot of confusion.

History of the United States Mint and Its Coinage by David W. Lange (Author), Mary Jo Mead (Contributor). I understand that the print version is sold out, but I think Kindel and other electronic versions are available. Funny story: I've been selling signed copies of that book on Amazon for years, with nary a taker at $24.95. In fact, for a long time I'd just been giving away copies to those who'd done me favors. Then, about six weeks ago, I sold five copies in one week. Wondering what was up, I saw that other seller's were pricing it at $65-115! It seems that the book did just go out of print, and no one could buy it from the publisher (Whitman) or the main supplier (Wizard). With just three copies left, I took the bold step of raising my price to $29.95, and those sold out in a couple of days. I now have only my own library copy and one I'd given to my parents before they passed. As an interesting aside, I wrote that book entirely as a donation to the ANA, which was going to publish it as a correspondence course. Instead, its now-disgraced former Executive Director Chris Cipoletti fired the person in charge of that project and then struck a deal with Whitman to publish it commercially with some portion benefitting the ANA. The first printing even included a greeting from him that was deleted from all subsequent printings after he was terminated. Though I don't know the actual number of copies printed, it nonetheless remains the best selling of my 10 books. One final note, the correct spelling of Mary Jo's surname is Meade, but I don't believe this was ever corrected in any of the printings. She performed the layout of the book for the ANA, though it was then tweaked a bit by Whitman to meet its own criteria.

That piece of land was known as Clinton Mound and had been the site of a refugee camp following the 1906 earthquake and fire. It was considered undesirable for development, as the hill was very rocky and would have cost a lot of money to clear. Those very qualities made it ideal for a mint, since the rocky foundation was essentially tunnel-proof. The SF Public Library has a wonderful collection of construction and early operational photos. Here's just a sample of before and during construction:

This was produced a few years ago by the local SF PBS station. It shows the SFM making modern US coins and also has a brief view from the 1930s of the SFM making coins for China.

There's no added value. It's just an ordinary 1969-S cent.

That appears to have been applied with an engraver's tool of the sort used to customize jewelry. It's considered damage to the coin, so your dollar would be Details Graded with a notation of either Damaged or Obverse Graffiti.

That appears to be just a scratch picked up in circulation. If it were in the die it would be raised on the coin, rather than incuse.

There is a good attribution site that I use, since I don't have a copy of Overton. Here's another excellent site, right in the neighborhood: https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/half-dollars/flowing-hair-half-dollars-1794-1795/?page=1

No one seems to have commented on the fact that the dismissed employee in that letter was named "Barber." Was he related to William and Charles Barber, the first the chief engraver and the second to succeed him three years later?

The upper loop of the mintmark is partially obstructed by a chip in the punch. It's seen on many S-Mint coins of the period and led to that punch being replaced a few years later.

That's my motto here: Shattering dreams since 1994...

That it's the Small Date is a given. NGC doesn't require VarietyPlus service to designate this, so we don't think of it as a variety. A favorite expression of mine is "Poor quality control is not, by itself, a variety or mint error." By that I mean that minor irregularities are so common on USA coins of the 1950s and 60s as to be essentially normal. Certainly, NGC won't mention these on the grading label. I hope that answers your question more fully.

The squiggly line through ONE CENT is indeed a die crack, one that led to chipping at the top of the letter O. There's no corresponding feature of Lincoln's bust in that part of the coin. The other flaws may be die clashing, but the photos aren't sharp enough to say for certain.

The mintmark displays just die erosion. A number of 1985-P dimes appear to have been coined on unmilled planchets (ones that were not given a raised rim in the upsetting mill), but it's less often seen with 1985-D dimes. This circumstance aggravated the poor definition and distorted lettering seen on the subject coin. All of these issues were matters of poor quality control, a condition that was widespread at the U. S. Mints in the early 1980s.

Mintmarks were used for all 1964-dated coins made at the Denver Mint only, and several denominations were coined with that date as late as 1966. The 1964-dated coins struck at Philadelphia lacked mintmarks, as was the norm for that facility until 1980. 1964-dated coins were struck in 1965 at the San Francisco Assay Office, too, but without mintmarks. Mintmarks were suspended for all 1965-67-dated coins, regardless of where made.

Yes, Designation Review is no longer an option.

It's a proof.

Corrosion is a good possibility, but another is that the coin has been immersed in an ultrasonic generator (rock cleaner). I've known people who cleaned coins by that method, and one left in too long looks just like the subject coin.

An email today from Dennis Tucker to we members of the Rittenhouse Society indicates that the new edition of the CPG Vol II will not come out until summer. Whitman has been unable to bring on new editorial staff due to the pandemic, and this certainly has contributed to the delay.

There are no varieties or mint errors on your coin. Everything described falls within the normal range of quality control issues. Coins of the 1950s and 60s were particularly prone to minor irregularities stemming from overused and poorly maintained dies.

NGC will not be adding additional Peg Leg die states.