How can you tell if this is a dime planchet?

[cpm9ball]

I came across this in a bunch of U.S. and foreign coins that I bought at a garage sale recently. It is copper and is the exact size of a dime, but there are no clad layers. Is there any way of determining if this was supposed to be a dime planchet?

 

Chris

[nwcs]

Is the thickness the same? How is the strike? It's possible that the dime was acid treated to make it look like an error. What is the weight?

[cpm9ball]

Neil, the thickness is the same as a dime. If it was supposed to be a dime planchet, then it would correspond to I-B-11 in Herbert's Mint Errors .

 

An unclad blank or planchet is defined as: A blank or planchet punched from clad coin metal strip that was incorrectly rolled at the end, or which had one or both clad layers separate so that the planchet is the full intended thickness, but missing one or both clad layers.

 

It never made it to the striking process. I can't imagine how it could have gotten by quality control into distribution. I am planning on going to a local dealer's shop tomorrow to have it weighed.

 

Right now, I'm just trying to determine how it could be authenticated. For all I know, it could be just a slug. If it turns out to be the real thing then I should be in Las Vegas right now, because I've been on "one heck of a roll". Just a few weeks ago, I found a 2001-D Kennedy Half that was missing the clad layer on the reverse (I-D-5). In this instance, the coin was struck and the reverse is really pretty in copper. Surprisingly, this coin came out of a $100 bag from the Mint. Alan Herbert told me that it is VERY RARE, and, personally, he has never seen this error in a half dollar.

 

Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

 

Chris

[nwcs]

Oops, I had missed the part where you were talking about it being a planchet. Does it have an upset rim?

[cpm9ball]

Oops, I had missed the part where you were talking about it being a planchet. Does it have an upset rim?

 

Neil, I'm not sure what you mean by "upset rim". It looks the same as described on pages 22-23....... "The raw blanks, which look like any similar piece of metal that has been punched out of a sheet, have one side flat and one side with rounded edges."

 

From the rounded side, it is somewhat smooth about halfway across the edge of the blank. From there to the flat side, the rest of the edge is sort of rough or uneven. Is this what you mean?

 

Chris

[nwcs]

I was referring to the type 2 planchet instead of the type 1. The type 2 has a rim on the planchet. If it's perfectly flat I start wondering if it is just a slug.

[cpm9ball]

I was referring to the type 2 planchet instead of the type 1. The type 2 has a rim on the planchet. If it's perfectly flat I start wondering if it is just a slug.

 

It is my understanding that it is in the "riddler" where incomplete blanks fall through into the "discard bin" and normal blanks are fed into the "catch bin". From there, they are fed into the "upsetting mill" where a low rim is formed. It is at this point that it has, technically, become a planchet.

 

Would it not be possible for a blank to miss the discard bin and the catch bin?

 

By the way, its weight is about 2.3gms (+ or - .05gm). The scale that was used can only measure to the nearest tenth of a gram, and I can't attest to its accuracy.

 

In all likelihood, it is probably just a slug, but I sure would like to know.

 

Thanks, Neil!

 

Chris