If I understand correctly, the Pres. Dollars receive their edge-lettering after striking the obverse/reverse designs. They go through some sort of rolling mill. This separate process produces the famous variations like double-lettering, dropped-letters, missing-letters, dear-john-letters, and other varieties. Moreover, the lettering is weak and shallow compared to edge-lettering found on many international coins. I assume those coins are struck with a lettered collar. How come our coins aren't processed this way?

I guess the mint didn't want the 3 part collar. The mint probaly hadn't used the collar method for so long that their new error screens (put in around 2003) would not screen out any errors in the production. Just a guess.

Also there is a story that the mind made the first errors on purpose to get people interested in the coin so the series woun't be a big flop like the other dollar coins.

I've been asking myself the same question for over a year...

That's an interesting theory. it makes lots of sense. lol. But I'm glad they don't use the collar, I want to find some errors!

Speed.

The mint uses the 3 part collar for the proof coins only. They wanted a much faster method for the buisness strikes and developed the new rolling process.

So the rolling process is used for circulation coins like dimes and quarters? How come we don't see non-reeded edges on those?

well I think that they did it because the coins might have been more likely to stick to a collar with lettering as it was being put into the edge....reeding is raised... incuse letters would be hard to eject from the striking chamber. Basically the coins would get stuck... think of it looking like that ring that comes on the top of your milk jug if they would have made it... the older edge lettering on US coins was done on a much different and slower type of press... Thats my hypothesis...

The US mint was striking coins in three part collars as early as 1794 silver dollars. They all have raised edge lettering on them, and so do some cents from that era. After that time they went to the reeded edge and never used the three part collar process. You would think in 200 + years that they could somehow improve on a process that is very commonly used in other countries.

The new dollar coins have a cheap feel, more like a token, lousy design, too small, and then the crude incuse edge lettering.

It's definitely not the most proud testament to America. But they've got copper in them.

I thought they were brass and manganese...

The outer layers are but this is the full composition percentages.

Manganese brass composition:
77% copper
12% zinc
7% manganese
4% nickel
Golden Dollar's overall composition:
88.5% copper
6.0% zinc
3.5% manganese
2% nickel

I was only speaking of the President dollar coins.

Couple points here:

The US Mint uses a roll process to put the lettering on the edge of circ strikes. This is similar to the process for European coinage but differs in when the lettering is applied. On the Euro, the planchets are supplied to the mints with the edge lettering already applied. For the 1 and 2 Euro, the coins are then struck in a reeded collar producing both a reeded and lettered coin.

The only use of a segmented collar on US coiange was in 1907 for the St. Gaudens $20 gold. The US Mint never used a segmented collar on screw press coinage. This is a misconclusion by someone who has very little knowledge of the press mechanisms of the time.

Zowee you are just a regular KIA.