RWB

At that time the dies were all made at Philadelphia -- and that's the real "Philadelphia Story."

The usual explanation is that coins or medals slid around in their cabinet slots as the drawers were opened and closed. Might not have happened if they used briefs or something tighter fitting. This is all a bunch of "hooey" as they'd say someplace-or-t'other.

The face of a letter or number punch is slightly smaller than the back - the sides of the letter are tapered. This allows the punch to release from the die. It also allows the coin to release from the die after striking.

Yes, but just wait a while -- it will be accurate again just like that stopped clock in the hallway.

Coin and medal collections were sometimes kept in cabinet furniture with velvet lined drawers and spaces for various items, including minerals, ancient pottery, etc. The term "cabinet" both described the thing hold coins, but also had a connotation of quality or broad extent. "Name" collectors had "cabinets;" ordinary folks had "drawers" or "boxes" of coins in little envelopes. The term also relates to "curio cabinet" and "cabinet of wonders" - which were common middle class decorative items holding conversation pieces for the amusement of visitors. Some older people still have curio cabinets for their collections of Hummel kitsch, Bradford Exchange plates, and similar. "Cabinet friction" is the lie told by a seller who is attempting to pawn off a circulated coin as one that is uncirculated. "Virtually uncirculated" is an equally loathsome lie.

We got those in gym class. At the end of the class, we'd swap our token for a clean towel after the shower.

You could even organize it as a club presentation -- tempt them with all the juicy finds that might be in the rolls. Possibly get a member to toss in some red UNC for additional interest. (PS: If the club is a qualified nonprofit, the donation is a tax deduction for you.)

That's what mine was doing, too...but you explained it a lot better! Maybe you should write my books.....!

About $4.08 each, but probably less due to excess wear on the standing Liberty quarters. Was once $1.50 in pocket change, now $24.00 in silver content.

It worked. But to sign in after the update, one has to click the sign out button, then do a complete sign in. Otherwise, one is directed in circles.

Give them to a local coin club with YN members - that way, they will get into real kid collector hands, and not just added to random "penny jars."

I suspect there would be a celebration with free Spanish "champagne." (Super info....save for future reference and tombstone cutting.)

There were specialists in making this kind of punch and also moveable type for printing. Mint archives show payments to several die sinkers for cutting sets of letters and numerals. Former assistant engraver Anthony Paquet made many of these after he left Mint employment.

Conder101 - Thanks a bunch. That should take care of it. I appreciate your transcribing all that to post here! Just Bob - I guess that makes the photocopies unnecessary, but I appreciate the kind offer. The info is all part of research on coin restrikes and patterns in the 1836-1885 period. Half cent proofs, especially of the 1840s, are being examined as one of the examples.

Looking for only the proof half cents so just a scan or photo would be great. No going to be published - reference only. I don't have any half cent books. This relates to restrikes and pattern coin sales.

What the see outlining the mintmark is part of the letter punch stock. It normally is not transferred to the die unless the punch tool is given too hard a blow. This is common among gold $ and $2.50, and other small coins, although it is seen on double eagles through 1904 on the IGWT logotype punch. This description from numismatist Tom Delorey should help. Making a single letter or number punch is a skilled bit of engraving that can be accomplished one of two ways. The engraver can take an annealed (heated to soften it and allowed to cool slowly) steel rod and, using small punches and files, cut away the metal at the tip of the rod that is not a part of the character he wants. Think of a raised letter on a tombstone that is created by removing the unwanted stone in and around the character. After smoothing and finishing the surface, the engraved punch can then be hardened by heating it again and quenching it suddenly in a bath of water or oil. The second way is to take a block of heat-softened steel and carve out metal in the shape of the desired character, working in mirror image. The same process was used in the early days of the Mint to create large designs such as a Liberty head or an eagle before reusable design hubs were created, so carving out a small letter or number was not a great challenge to a skilled engraver. When finished, the block could be hardened and the end of a softened rod hammered into the carved recess, raising up a positive image of the character. The raised image could then be touched up and smoothed out before the rod was hardened.

Excellent work shredplayer !

In the private sector, the disgruntled simply show up with an assault rifle and kill people. (But that's what assault rifles are intended to do - so what's the problem?) A couple of years ago, at one of the mint conferences, Ryder publicly announced he was being required by Treasury Sec Mnuchen to increase profit by at least 10%. So he wanted to sell more products to American suckers. (They gave out autographed $1 bills in the participant packets. Mine is around here someplace....)

Consider: A person responsible for a company with multiple manufacturing plants, extensive supply chains and product lines and thousands of employees whould be making several million a year in private employment. Ryder made a couple hundred K --- not even peanuts.

Ryder was under constant pressure to make "more money, more money," regardless of the damage done by that pervasive attitude. PS: Federal and state government employees cover most of the same range of work and income as those privately employed, only they tend to earn less for equivalent responsibility. I suggest that most people response differently in work situations than in social or family settings -- regardless of their employer.

All of the lower right is missing detail.

Most government SES people have to manage much large organizations than equivalent private sector people. Further, public - means "public" -- private companies hide everything possible. So the two are not comparable. When I was working my corporate "rank" was equivalent to the government SES Distinguished Senior Professional. I had about 100 people reporting to me. A government manager of the same "rank" could easily have had over 2,000 and often many more.

Well, I'm on the "Too Boring - Don't Bother" list.

They also have "uninteresting person" ..... NOLO "not on the lookout."

If you want the "missing" letters, let me know. I some extras....