Greased Filled Dies ???

[texasrichard]

I posted this ATS last night and several said it was "grease filled dies". I've heard the term before but didn't really know what it meant. I looked through a mint sealed $100 bag of 2001 Kennedy Halves last night and divided them by MM. Right away I noticed that the "D" MM's were way nicer coins than the "P" MM's. In fact a lot, maybe 30% of the "P" looked like they had been worn or damaged but what was weird is it was all in the same area around the rim. Some were worse than others and then I found this one... It's missing the "Y", the "ST" and even the "1" ! I don't know how common this is but thought it was pretty cool so I took some pictures. If you're wondering why I even had the bag; it's because I sold some coins for a guy a few years ago as a favor and he bought and gave me the bag as a thank you.

 

Here is the sorted stacks:

 

And here is the worst (or best) of the "P" MM's...

[Coindude]

I'm with the filled die myself... but that is totally impressive how it only affected the last digit in the date. Usually you'll see an area of weakness vice one digit or letter missing.

[Coindude]

Oh, on second look... I see that the "UST" in TRUST is mostly missing... Grease would be my guess.

[cpm9ball]

I saw your post ATS. Come to think of it, I believe I have one of those 200-P packed away somewhere. It's too bad that you didn't find one like that on my sig line in your bag.

 

Chris

[WoodenJefferson]

 

"Ghost" letters and faint numbers, but still visible under the right conditions indicates "filled" dies. It might be grease or it might be another foreign substances caught up in the die that did not allow the incuse design to be filled in with metal. Even under those high pressures, it’s amazing how a foreign substance can divert metal during the striking process.

 

Looks like the whole lower right quadrant near the rim is missing from the Y in LIBERTY to the 1 on the date.

 

Nice find and good conversation coin.

[cpm9ball]

Grease tends to collect small particles of dust and dirt. As the debris continues to fill the device during production, it becomes compacted to form a very hard surface. Occasionally, it will dislodge and be stamped into the surface of another planchet as a "dropped element" strikethrough. Whenever I search bags or rolls and happen to find a grease-filled die, it alerts me to the possibility that another coin may have a strikethrough.

 

Chris

[19Lyds]

And Why can't that friggin grease fill up some of the planchet chatter or imperfections??

[Coin]

I want to be the guy at the Mint that gets paid to stand there and squirt grease into the coin punching machine.......I know its automated , but would be a fun and messy job , wouldn't it?

They must go through barrels of grease every run ....maybe that's why the oil prices jumped? I get grease smattered and ugly coins out of fresh rolls all the time...some look as though they could have been decent coins worth saving if not for the ugly splotches .

 

 

Won't be long , but some nut living in a camper or tent somewhere in the middle of nowhere will probably find what looks like the outline of Jesus on one and then people will start making pilgrimages out to the middle of nowhere to see such 'fascinating' coin while the owner hawks drinks and Tee-shirts.......man , how come it is that I only find splotches that look like squished bugs on mine......someday though , someone here may find 'pattern toast' coin , someday....

[cpm9ball]

And Why can't that friggin grease fill up some of the planchet chatter or imperfections??

 

Then what would you, or any of us for that matter, have to complain about? It couldn't be the stains on the proofs? It couldn't be the ridiculous pricing or the fact that they delay shipments for new price increases? Let's see, maybe we could complain about the "Parking Wars" in Philly.

 

Chris

[awb]

Won't be long , but some nut living in a camper or tent somewhere in the middle of nowhere will probably find what looks like the outline of Jesus on one and then people will start making pilgrimages out to the middle of nowhere to see such 'fascinating' coin while the owner hawks drinks and Tee-shirts.......

 

Actually, that was last week. For some reason, he didn't get any bidders at $10,000.

 

 

Penny with Silhouette picture of Jesus & baby view

 

 

[Coin]

YIKES!!! That looks real-ish .

 

I really was making a poor/bad joke of it , but I guess I should have known someone had actually done this.