Un-canceled dime die

New to forum and only passing knowledge of numismatics.
As attached photo shows i have found an obverse face 1956 dime die un-canceled. I asked a local coin shop and he offered me $40 for it.
Please educate me.

 

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If it's an authentic US Mint die, then it's worth way more than $40. If it's not, then it's illegal to possess. Unfortunately, I don't know which it is.

 

It does not look like any GENUINE U.S. dime die I've ever seen. Looks like we should start looking for very worn 1956 counterfeit dimes (not 90% silver) in batches of "junk" silver.

How long have you owned it? It's worth over $40. The Secret Service would possibly be interested in this piece.

 

I can take more photos and add later today, there are no serial numbers or other markings on the other parts of the die.

 

Ive had it in a drawer as a curiosity, i found it like 6 years ago and thought i lost it during a move. I found it again going through our storage unit clearing it out.

 

It sure doesn't look like a die that would have been used by the US mint. Maybe a die for die casting process?

 

A picture of the other side would possibly be helpful.

 

Please explain "die casting process" and by whom? Thanks.

 

Flat back and side view to show detail. The metal is a high density and hi corrosion resiatant. I havent tried any cleaning or restoration.

 

I was iffy about it before, but I'm a lot less iffy now. That is not a US Mint die.

 

Wecome to CT. Very interesting piece. Are the details raised or indented?

 

A hub would not have the design in mirror image. Its face would look like that of the coin.

 

The edge of the coin area has ridges, the cylindrical portions are same top and bottom
The inset area on sides is tapered like it would fit only one direction into a clamp base. One of the taper insets has a line on it like a clamp mark where it would have went into a machined base

 

Google Zinc die casting. Zinc is probably the most common die cast material

 

Its hard to see in photo but the face is recessed not raised.

 

Yeah , I'm seeing it now, it is a stamping die. Took me a couple minutes to catch it.

 

And that right there is what confirms it as not a US Mint die, in fact. US coins are struck inside a retaining collar that imparts the reeding (the ridges you referred to) to the coin. The obverse and reverse dies do not have any ridges or reeding whatsoever.

 

Even from 1956? I have seen some of the modern documentaries, and i recognize the cone shaped dies. But this one had me stumped and any easy internet searches drew a blank.

 

I guess I missed your point. The second use of "die" in your post threw me off. The OP's piece is a "die" of sorts that can be used to cast a piece that looks like the obverse of a Roosevelt dime. There may be an additional part with the reverse image that the outer "cross blocks" fit into to complete the "mold." In any case, the design detail of the OP's "die" is insufficient to produce any "coin" grading higher than XF.