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Dropped Letters


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So here's the gist of it: a letter on a die becomes grease-filled. The grease is compacted and creates the relatively common filled die errors. But eventually the compacted grease pops out of the letter. Sometimes it will be caught between the die and the planchet and will incuse the letter onto the coin. Read more about the phenomenon in this Ken Potter article:

http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Articl...;ArticleId=8899

ArtLargImg8899.jpg

 

Do any of you have a dropped letter error that you could share here?

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The unfortunate part of this very cool error is that it is an impression into the coins surface...as in someone with a small enough type set or enough patience could counterfeit it without much trouble.

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The unfortunate part of this very cool error is that it is an impression into the coins surface...as in someone with a small enough type set or enough patience could counterfeit it without much trouble.

 

Think you could do one for us, V?

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Some place in in the error section I have a prez. dollar picture with an "O" on the edge. I'll see if I can find the pic.

 

 

Edit: can't find it. And my other photobucket account expired. So no pics there.

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Think you could do one for us, V?

 

I could, but that would be counterfeiting of an error. :ninja: But yes, it would be easy enough; I have very small reverse and non-reverse stamps. I guess being a jeweler makes me a target for suspected counterfeiting because I have all the required tools, haha. Lucky I have some morals. ;)

 

 

Speaking of which at work tonight we had two counterfeit $100 bills come through, they were bleached out $5 bills that had a $100 note printed over the then blank paper. It's obvious to me because there is not reflective ink on the obverse but the counterfeit detector pens don't work (and left the cashier as a target) because they are printed over bleached out fivers. Bah. We got a picture of the lady that did it, I hope she goes to jail for a while.

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Lincoln watermark gave them away?

 

Well they looked a little dull when I had them in hand and then I noticed the lack of that glittery reflective ink over the 100 on the obverse. Then I held it up to the light and saw Mr.Lincoln staring back at me. We were warned about them last year but that is the first I saw any appear.

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I could, but that would be counterfeiting of an error. :ninja: But yes, it would be easy enough; I have very small reverse and non-reverse stamps. I guess being a jeweler makes me a target for suspected counterfeiting because I have all the required tools, haha. Lucky I have some morals. ;)

 

I mean, can you just get a blank piece of copper and do a tiny punch? I know you don't want to counterfeit, even for education's sake!

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I mean, can you just get a blank piece of copper and do a tiny punch? I know you don't want to counterfeit, even for education's sake!

 

You're talking to a certified art teacher after all, I don't want to corrupt the youth. :ninja:

 

I do have an image of a coin I made for my friends 30th birthday. It's not exactly what I'm talking about, but it gives you a general idea. We actually made master dies out of brass for the tokens and roll-pressed the copper them. The letters are spread more and a bit shallow because of the transferring from die to planchet. If I used just the letter stamps and found ones with the proper serifs or just used small engraving tools I feel it wouldn't be difficult to replicate.

 

14wq9zo.jpg

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  • 8 months later...

So here's the gist of it: a letter on a die becomes grease-filled. The grease is compacted and creates the relatively common filled die errors. But eventually the compacted grease pops out of the letter. Sometimes it will be caught between the die and the planchet and will incuse the letter onto the coin. Read more about the phenomenon in this Ken Potter article:

http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Articl...;ArticleId=8899

ArtLargImg8899.jpg

 

Do any of you have a dropped letter error that you could share here?

I am a newbie and this is my first post. This is a Polk Dollar with a dropped "T" on the edge. The coin was certified by Ken Potter and he did an article on it in Nusmismaster.com July 15 this year. The coin was also examined by Mike Diamond.

 

Mike Diamond who at first was a skeptic tried to duplicate the error and was unable to do so......under magnification the marks can be clearly seen. Mike also sent a letter confirming it to be a dropped letter. I am in the process of sending it to NGC for grading hoping for a ms-66 or 67.

polkdroppedletter.jpg.JPG

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Welcome to CP, Tuffjump. Thank you so much for sharing your great find. What was it like IDing it?

Thanks for the welcome I hope to learn much from the forum.

 

I had a feeling that it was what it was but being a newbie I wasn't sure. When Ken Potter certified it it was elation. When Mike Diamond doubted it it was a huge letdown then when he further examined it and confirmed it to be a dropped letter it was like a relief.

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  • 7 months later...

The unfortunate part of this very cool error is that it is an impression into the coins surface...as in someone with a small enough type set or enough patience could counterfeit it without much trouble.

And it's done so often, no one really pays to much attention to those possible errors.

And in the famous Red Book, pages 406 and up on errors, those are not even mentioned.

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