Morning! So my question is, if Ihave the obverse of both dimes, the one in these pictures above and another dime side by side, why is the copper vs zinc oppisite? I would think that they are all made the same, silver (zinc) and the obverse and coper on the reverse side. Did I miss some thing??
Miss something ? No. But I don't think understand how it works. Clad planchets are all made the same, a copper core clad with an outer layer of copper nickel on each side. The copper cores are all the same thickness, the copper nickel clad layers are all the same thickness. Everything is identical on each one. But, when those planchets are struck, sometimes the top layer is pushed part way down over the edge of the copper core, and sometimes the bottom layer is pushed part way up over the copper core. And sometimes, either of the clad layers is pushed all the way over the copper core so you can't even see the copper core once the coin is struck. It's all a matter of pure chance as to which scenario actually happens.
ok right on...here i was thinking it was something special---well off to the change jar with the others. Thanks for the info---
It doesn't happen when the planchets are struck, it occurs when they are punched from the strip. The copper nickel layers on the strip are of equal thickness. Now when the punch comes down the metal is sheared at the edge of the planchet. As the planchet is driven down the metal on the edge of the planchet is smeared upward with the bottom layer of coppernickel and copper pretty well covering the edge of the top layer of coppernickel. If you look at the edge you see two layers of metal and possibly only a trace of the second coppernickel layer. If you look at the edge of the hole in the strip you will see that on it the metal has been smeared downward with the upper coppernickel and copper layers visible and only a trace of the bottom layer. (Ihis is important when examining "clipped planchet" clad coins. On a genuine clip the metal will be smeared in one direction on the edge of the planchet, but in the other direction inside the clip.) Since the planchets get jostled around there is no way to control how they enter the coining chamber, so roughly half of them will smeared toward the obverse and half toward the reverse.
I agree I should have mentioned that, but since the metal flows when the planchet is struck to form the rim and the edge it seems like it can or should happen in both instances.
Just home from work, yuk, thanks to both of you---I learned once again--maybe one...only one coin will get me to early retirement!!!..please...just one... Hey thanks guys-great info----
