Retrieved Out of Circulation

[Die Varieties]

Just pulled this 1986 cent out of circulation last night. Almost 90 degrees rotated. Though this isn't an earth-shattering find -- however, the price was right. It only takes a second to look at your change and you never know what you might find.

 

I like to keep track of rotated reverses for my own records as well as for possible future publication in the numismatic press. If you have this 1986 cent rotated reverse in your collection -- I would appreciate a PM to compare die markers.

 

Have a great day. Good Hunting!!!

 

[EZ_E]

Hey!? How do we know that you're just not rotating the frame on photoshop??

 

 

Just playing. It does make me want to check my change a little closer.

[Die Varieties]

Victor: Actually, you make an excellent point. I could have rotated the frame in photoshop just as easily as one could enhance the colors on some of these wildly toned coins I have seen.

 

I take it your out in Nevada? I was stationed at Herlong Army Depot back in the early 70's just a little bit west of Pyramid Lake. I would spend my weekends in Reno and there was a place called Mustang Ranch on the outskirts. Very interesting place.

[XpipedreamR]

Wow, that's a great find!

 

 

[Jabba-migration]

Im still kinda new to this! How did that happen, did the bottom die move before the coin was struck?

[midwest]

Im still kinda new to this! How did that happen, did the bottom die move before the coin was struck?

 

Loose or broken dies are usually the culprit. ALTHOUGH there are certain situations when the mint worker may have "accidently" put them in the wrong order. Hope this helps.

[Die Varieties]

"How did that happen, did the bottom die move before the coin was struck?"

 

smoky1: The Mint implemented a flat area on the die shank which would only allow the mint technician to install the obverse and reverse working dies into the press with each die 180 degrees opposite to each other. This is called "coin alignment." However, as we can see, things can go wrong at the Mint, wear and tear can happen, especially with the millions of coins being produced for commerce.

 

It would be my guess on this 1986 cent the reverse die is loose and continually rotating. This theory was proven on a 1994 cent I came across a little while back and was published in Numismatic News. That article generated a response from another collector who also had a 1994 cent specimen with the exact same die markers as my coin -- however, his was rotated right at 180 degrees while mine was rotated about 165 degrees on the reverse. Therefore -- we were able to prove that the reverse die was loose and continually rotating.

 

I'm hoping that one of the board members here may have a 1986 cent with a rotated dies and we can compare die markers. At the minimum -- at least this will let members know to be on the lookout for the 1986 cents. After all -- it only takes a second to check. Just flip the coin over vertically (not side-by-side) and the reverse had better be in correct orientation or right-side up.

 

A Web site devoted to rotated dies research/study list six (6) different 1973-D cents with varying degrees of rotation. It also list five (5) different 1972-D cents also with varying degrees of rotation. I highly suspect many of these are of the same die pairs and again the die is loose in the press and continually rotating. The Web site also list a 1922 Peace Dollar with 180 degree rotated reverse -- and as I write this -- there is a specimen currently up on an eBay auction.

 

It's not a major error type -- however -- it is interesting to study and so easy to check in one's change for it. Though I'm speculating -- but it would be my guess that many of us at one time or another probably had one slip thru our pocket change and didn't know it because of not looking for it-- to include me. But I always look now.

[Jabba-migration]

Thats really cool, I was allways looking out for error type coins but never looked at the alignment? I will have to keep an eye out for that. The only coin have have found that looked odd from the mint was a cent that looked like it had a crack in it. I will have to post a pic when I get my new digital in.

[EZ_E]

Victor: Actually, you make an excellent point. I could have rotated the frame in photoshop just as easily as one could enhance the colors on some of these wildly toned coins I have seen.

 

I was just joshing with ya.

 

I take it your out in Nevada? I was stationed at Herlong Army Depot back in the early 70's just a little bit west of Pyramid Lake. I would spend my weekends in Reno and there was a place called Mustang Ranch on the outskirts. Very interesting place.

 

I've started collecting Brothel Tokens a little and the latest release is The Mustang Ranch.

 

Silver State Tokens

1-818-609-7666

 

They've started a paper called The Brothel Collector's Gazette .

 

Pretty interesting.

 

Trivia:

 

Whay are brothels called ranches?

 

 

DV,

 

I'm here in Tonopah for another month doing a radiology assignment and then I'm most likely heading North to Alaska.

[Die Varieties]

"Trivia:

 

Whay are brothels called ranches?"

 

I really don't know -- OK I'll bite -- why are they called ranches?

 

Of my 23 years in the service -- I never made it to Alaska (all over the world though) and always wanted to see that state. I hear it's beautiful.

[EZ_E]

re: trivia

 

In the 18th century, the farmers and the like would make it into town with chickens/goats/etc in tow and they'd trade farm animals for sex in the local brothels. The brothels would often have more farm animals than brothel workers; hence, the chicken ranch name.

 

True story.

[IGWT]

Do you use Alan Herbert's book or another method to catalogue your error coins?

[Die Varieties]

Actually I have been just doing it with my own files. Come to think of it -- and thanks for bringing this to my attention, I really need to order Alan's book. Especially since we both write for NN, it would be professional courtesy acquiring his excellent reference for my error/variety library.

[nwcs]

You may have answered this in another post but I didn't see it. I'm just curious how many coins you go through to find the varieties you seek. I haven't looked through rolls from the bank in a long time but when I did I never ran across anything special.

[jtryka]

Very cool! I have an 1865 2-cent piece with an almost identical rotation, though I didn't find that one in circulation!

[Die Varieties]

"I'm just curious how many coins you go through to find the varieties you seek."

 

I would say around $20 - $25 per day on average. Some days more -- some days none at all depending on what I'm working on and being with the family. I'm retired U.S. Navy and do this full time. I'm not rich -- but overall it pays for the hobby. But then -- I'm not doing this to become rich. I enjoy the searching and were all familiar with the ole saying, "the thrill of the hunt!"

 

My greatest enjoyment is being able to write articles about other collectors finds that they have come across during their searches. Actually, in the same Numismatic News issue (July 26, 2005 that just hit the streets), which by-the-way nicely showcases kryptonitecomics Signature Set Toning Coins in an NGC full page color ad on page 23, I have an article on page 42 highlighting other collectors RPM finds that were sent in to me. I just finished completing another article on one of our own forum member's discovery and is scheduled next in line to be published in NN. To me -- that is what it's all about.

[Weather11-migration]

Die Varieties, check out this thread accross the street...

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=417691

[Die Varieties]

Weather11: That's a nice one. I might have that one already listed in my "C" files. Will check the die markers with my coin to see if they match. Currently, I have 3 listings for the 2005 Lincoln cents -- CDDR-001 thru CDDR-003.

 

It would be my theory -- since we now are finally starting to see the "wavy steps" type DDR's on the 2005 cents, I think it will not be too much longer in seeing the doubling happening on the obverse as well. This is the same thing that happened with the 2004 Lincoln cents. Last fall the U.S. Mint did a report on doubled dies checking all their associated machinery, presses, die shop, procedures, etc. I think they tightened down some bolts, nuts, performed some preventive maintenance and this stopped the doubling from the single-squeeze process for a while. It's now starting back up as we see the evidence in these wavy steps again since wear and tear is always happening on the equipment with the millions of coins to be produced for commerce.