RWB

Do the above also include real Oscar Mayer Bologna or just the lies they mention?

Badly damaged and corroded. It might be worth $5, but finding a buyer would be very difficult when a nice VG is reasonably priced. Yes, it's "rare" but so are collectors of these by date/mint, thus there are plenty of undamaged specimens to meet demand.

Yes. Bring your own daffodils.

It will cost me 1 gallon of gas round trip. Might go if I can come up with a reason.

That's the Lincoln Memorial after a snow storm....that's why the lower steps are hidden.

Impressive photos. The little 25 kopek is now worth more than a big stack of current rubles....

Mr. Lange is absolutely correct. This evidence of abject ignorance has been around since the first Liberty Standing quarters were released in 1917, and repeated in 1922 with release of Peace dollars.

It's damaged or mutilated in the area just above the NGC logo.

There's a little mechanical doubling. Nothing valuable.

If the coin was cleaned and then artificially tarnished, restoration will not change anything. If you look closely, you'll see that all of the small dings and scrapes have darker color than adjacent areas. This is one of several indicators of handy-work by parties other than Mother Nature. Also, the photos don't show any luster under the Maaco paint job. It is not possible for anyone viewing the PCGS photos to say anything definitive. Examination in-hand but through the plastic is not the best, either. You could crack it out and send it to PCGS again, or send it to NGC, or leave it as-is.

Why not simply ask John Mercanti for written confirmation. Then it will not be hearsay.

"Unlike genuine doubled dies for which the doubling is on the die itself (hence the term “doubled die”), mechanical doubling is the result of loose parts in the coining press. These loose parts allow the dies to shift and/or bounce slightly at the moment of impact when the coin is being struck. This slight shifting and bouncing of the dies is what causes the flat, shelf-like appearance of mechanical doubling." The highlighted part is not quite right. Mechanical doubling occurs when the planchet is still moving at the time of striking. That is, the dies do not move or bounce, it is the planchet that is moving. The dies might strike incorrectly due to poor maintenance, normal wear, excess lubricant, poor set-up and many other defects. At times, it almost seem that "perfect" coin are the exception. This commonly affects hundreds of coins before it is corrected by repair or maintenance. In extreme situations the coins are mangled and must be condemned. (See From Mint to Mint for illustrations, etc.)

The overhead cost of maintaining on-demand availability is high and not sustainable -- especially for hobby books guaranteed to lose money. The data technology has not changed - the means of transmitting it has. Plus, increasing reliance of the internet or expensive "cloud" storage further threatens the permanence and integrity of data/books/ideas.

Wrong details, wrong thickness, etc. -- at least the eagle is flying in the correct direction.

Comparison of these critters with Morgans is not very helpful. What should be compared are the quantities of BU pieces of each, then you are comparing roughly equivalent items.

Wait for the price of the only "EF" example.....

Impossible to evaluate from fuzzy photos and no data. Low grade specimens sell for about $1,500. FDC = $7,000 to $8,000. (Is that a portcullis mintmark?) Obverse Legend starting from the top right reads: HENRIC DI GRA REX AnGLIE Z FRA Most have AnGL not AnGLIE like this one. Translated the legend reads “Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and France.” Saint Michael slaying dragon with both feet clearly on the ground and hold a spear. Cross Crosslet spear shaft and St. Michael’s halo break through the inner beading. Mint mark is to the right of Saint Michael’s head in the legend area. Reverse The reverse design of the gold angel coin shows a crown at the center of a ship amongst the waves, with an “h” to the left and a rose to the right of the cross as ships mast. Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, PERx CRVCE'x TVA'x SALVAx nOSx XPE'x REDE'. (“By Thy cross, save us, O Christ, our Redeemer.”) Specification Gold, 0.163 T oz.; 0.995; 1504. [Chards Coin and Bullion Dealer]

"Good riddance."

Good riddance.

Charles Barber tried multiple times to standardize everything relating to dies, but didn't get much cooperation until after New Orleans closed. The basic problem was that many of the presses were more or less custom built, which meant limited interchangeability of parts and little standardization. If a die stake cracked, a new one had to be made in the Mint's machine shop or by the company that made the press (Morgan & Orr, for example). There was no overall repair and replacement plan, so each mint managed equipment independently. The only time there was a common coin press was from 1837 to about 1845 when all the presses were built on Franklin Peale's plan and scaled according to his design drawings. When San Francisco opened a new problem was created: security. Dies were shipped west unhardened because SF wanted to cut their length to fit their presses, and HQ wanted to be sure that if dies were lost or stolen, they were very unlikely to be usable as soft steel. Die hardening was tricky business and very few were expert enough to handle coinage dies without ruining them.

They had a 40-year old building that was obsolete the day it opened.

I suspect that's the key TPG point; however, the differences between the gross mess presented above and the coin in Woods020's post really begs explanation. But no TPG says much of anything. If the small stars are from overpolishing, then that should be clearly illustrated pre- and post-.

Depends on the parameters and number of instances. Digital also supports any combination of words or phrases -- far greater options than any print version. A really good PDF search engine also supports fuzzy searches, Boolean, context, and concatenated among others.

The following excerpt is from a letter of Feb. 12, 1878 from Engraver William Barber concerning defective Trade dollar dies and hardening conditions at Philadelphia. (SF hardened their own dies.) A member asked abut this several months ago -- OK, so I'm slow.... [Page 2] …I think that the risk of breaking dies in hardening or using, always a considerable risk, has been greatly increased by the process which they (in San Francisco) have used, of making the bottom of the die as hard as the face…and I greatly prefer our plan of exposing only about three parts of the steel to the sudden chilling and consequent contraction. [Page 3] I would remark, we never shall get rid of this trouble of breakage, we can only reduce it to its minimum amount….I would like here to express my views on the means of reducing the breakage of the dies to the lowest point…. [Page 5] …I think we are under a great disadvantage in having to perform so nice an operation as hardening, in such a very limited space as our hardening shop affords. I know we ought to be alone while hardening, as the degree of heat befre cooling and the delicate shade of color afterwards, which indicates the temper, and changed from one tint to another so rapidly that we have to seize the very moment of required shade, and [Page 6] fix it by instant immersion, or it deepens into another color, and your opportunity is gone. I submit therefore that such an operation requiring absorbing attention, labors under great disadvantages in having to be performed in a confined room used for other purposes, and perhaps containing 4, 5, or 6 men in it working at other business, at the time we want the closest observation and attention…. [RG104 E-1 Box 110]

To me, and index exists to help readers find subjects, events, people and places of interest in the book. The most efficient way to accomplish that is usually preferred. I used searchable CD because that seemed the most efficient. I would have done the same for the DE book.