New Orleans Morgans

[Kurtdog]

Question the kids got I thought I'd run up the flagpole here. We're all familiar with the weak impressions out of this Mint. They're wondering whether that's due to an engraving weakness in the dies or to a weak striking p.s.i. You can make me look real smart if you know. Thanks.

[Red Llama]

I'd like to see a few other people pipe in here but I believe that it is a relatively boring answer. I believe that NO mint coins usually show weak strikes because of lack of pressure on dies.

Why?

Maybe there is a more in depth answer but I think its just because the NO mint did not have the best equipment. I think it is like your local USPS. You might go to one and its got all the nicest stuff and the people have new uniforms and then you go to the one just on the other side of town and they have computers from 1999 and the people behind the counter have the same USPS polo with coffee stains they got when they took the job 15 years ago. Politics surely involved but think it is more or less that money is almost never evenly distributed. The NO mint I think was just sort of considering second class and once you sort of get that label it perpetuates itself.

 

 

[DaveG]

Actually, Roger has posted research on this question before, and I vaguely recall that the answer was poor annealing of the blanks rather than improper operation of the coin presses.

 

Perhaps Roger will respond or someone will find one of his old posts on the subject.

[RWB]

An examination of this problem was done by a senior engineer from the Philadelphia Mint. The reason turned out to be poor annealing. The NO coining dept was running more planchets through their furnaces than could be properly softened. This was being done because Mint HQ wanted 1,000,000 per month produced but did not give NO new equipment with which to make the coins. Problem was solved – for a while.

 

Hard planchets caused the NO coiner to increase striking pressure to get good coins, and that caused early die failure. Lots of finger pointing over more than a decade. But, reality was that no body wanted the coins and few cared if they weren’t perfect – engraver Barber happened to care but did not have the “pull” to help. When the examination was over, the engineer left and the hard planchet problem reappeared.

 

The examination will be discussed in a future JNR issue article.

 

[Kurtdog]

That makes so much sense I know I would never have thought of it. Gracias, amigo.

[DaveG]

I see that Roger was typing at the same time as I was!

 

Here's a link to an original thread ATS: Link

 

Here's another thread: Link

 

 

edited to add: Make sure you click on the link within the second thread above; it leads to an older thread with some very good information in it.

[Kurtdog]

Well, I wanted to look smart, . Thanks Dave!

[Kurtdog]

I see that Roger was typing at the same time as I was!

 

Here's a link to an original thread ATS: Link

 

Here's another thread: Link

 

 

edited to add: Make sure you click on the link within the second thread above; it leads to an older thread with some very good information in it.

I just want to add, after having just read all this, this is fantastic. Especially that embedded link referenced in your edit, it ought to be required reading.

[jpcienkus]

What temperatures did the annealing ovens need to reach?

 

The last company I worked for had a 4-5 hour batch anneal cycle for the product and the current company I work for uses strip anneal furnaces, so I'm curious if anyone knows the proper temperatures.

 

Based on the blanks, I'm thinking 1500+ degrees F.

[RWB]

Check "From Mint to Mint" for details on annealing processes and equipment. Temperatures are given to the best of 19th centruy measurement.