Post an incuse design

[MorganMan]

This ought to be interesting. Even though it is a USA coin forum, I think the lack of issues will have to open it up to any world incuse design.

 

I'll start with the easy one:

 

 

MM

[rrantique]

[coinsarefun]

These are a great deign

 

 

 

[rbrown4]

Here is one of mine. 1912 Quarter Eagle (cleaned MS details) and it is for sale if anyone is interested.

 

Rey

 

[IGWT]

[physics-fan3.14]

What is that, Lou?

[IGWT]

What is that, Lou?

 

The piece is a unique hub trial for J-561. In 1867, Longacre advocated the use of aluminum for the 5c series (which was a metal with high intrinsic value at the time), and he prepared a pattern piece to help make his argument. He describes the piece and its purpose in correspondence to Secretary McCulloch through Director Linderman:

 

" . . . . I know not how far it may coincide with the present or future policy of the Government -- but it has appeared to me as a desideratum, that the portion of the circulating medium -- designated as fractional currency should possess an instrinsic value in the material of which it is composed, which it has not now.

 

If this view should be entertained now, or hereafter: it is important to find or suggest a material that would meet the exigency. The use of aluminum for the purposes of coinage, was suggested by its peculiar qualities as I became acquainted with them: especially when I ascertained that it was employed successfully in Paris for the purpose of striking medals.

 

. . . . These considerations have induced me to prepare for the purpose from dies designed and engraved by myself -- the accompanying specimens[/b], corresponding in size with the coin above mentioned [the Half Eagle], in order to exhibit fully and fairly under the usual process of coining, the fitness of the metal for the requisite operations. . . ."

 

Letter from J. Longacre to H. McCulloch (June 12, 1867), quoted in D. Taxay, The U.S. Mint and Coinage at 245-46 (1966) (emphasis added). Of course, the nickel advocates had their way, and the Mint continued production of the Shield 5c in copper-nickel alloy (75:25) through 1883. In fact, the composition of the nickel hasn't changed (aside from the War Nickels of 1942-45) to the present date, 142 years later. Longacre might be pleased to know that the intrinsic value of the five-cent piece -- at long last -- actually exceeds its face value.

 

The aluminum piece that comes from "dies designed and engraved by [Longacre] [him]self," J-561, is not rare as far as patterns go, but it is far and away my favorite pattern for many reasons, including the elegance of the design indisputably created by Longacre's own hand and its place in numismatic history.

 

Longacre also prepared at least two hub trials (each is unique) for the design. The hub trial takes us one step closer to Longacre than the J-561 takes us. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the design elements are incuse as well as reversed (like you would expect to see on a die). This piece is a "snapshot" of one stage in Longacre's creative process for the 561. You'll see on the hub trial, for example, that the word UNION is not yet punched into the headdress, a significant addition reminding us that the Civil War had just ended. You'll also note that Longacre modified the design slightly by repunching the stars before striking the 561, and you can see scribe lines (circular, horizontal, and vertical) used to position the letters.

 

Edited to add: I cut-and-pasted this from one of my posts in another thread . . . apologies to those who have now read it twice.

 

[physics-fan3.14]

Wow, that is really interesting. Thanks.

[MorganMan]

So the piece would have looked similiar to this in aluminum?

 

 

MM

[awb]

Don't forget about these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or these post-mint alterations.

 

[MorganMan]

 

Must have been chop marked at a chinese laundry, cuz I see they cleaned it good as well

 

MM

 

[JRocco]

Here is one of my favorite designs.

Happens to show both raised and incuse design elements.

I love this design...best looking eagle on a US piece.

And another incuse/raised pattern

[IGWT]

So the piece would have looked similiar to this in aluminum?

 

 

Cool! I have a J-561, but I don't have a photo handy to post. I'll take one and post it side-by-side with your work.

[James_OldeTowne]

Here is one of my favorite designs.

Happens to show both raised and incuse design elements.

I love this design...best looking eagle on a US piece.

And another incuse/raised pattern

WOW! That is unusually nice - hard to believe it's a modern coin! Thanks for posting some great images of a coin I've never seen before.

[physics-fan3.14]

Yeah, the platinum pieces are not something you hear about or see too often. I guess they just aren't that popular (maybe because they're expensive?), but they are unusually attractive.

[MikeInFL]

Here are my only two:

 

 

[skippy]

I've seen IGWT's splasher before, and no matter how many times I look at it I can never make it look incuse even though I *know* it is.

 

Can anybody actually see the incuse image?