2009 Lincoln Cent Boot Strap die break Error

Discussion in 'Error Coins' started by Electron John, Jan 6, 2017.

  1. Electron John

    Electron John Active Member

    I finally got around to taking a good look at my boot strap die break error. I used one of the scanning electron microscopes (SEM) at my work to photograph it. I haven't ever seen an SEM image of this error so this may be a first. Let me know what you think.
     
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  3. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    That's a cool die break. And an awesome pic!
     
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  4. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Wow!
    Those are some pretty amazing pictures. Where can I get one of those SEM?
     
  5. Electron John

    Electron John Active Member

    A used one can run you over $50K. New ones go for over $250K.
     
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  6. Electron John

    Electron John Active Member

    Glad you guys like them. You are the first people beside myself to ever see them. I just took those shots a few hours ago and haven't even shown them to the people I work with.
     
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  7. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    I am sure there are a few folks on here that would appreciate those pics, Definitely out of my league though.
     
  8. tommyc03

    tommyc03 Senior Member

    Totally amazing. Imagine if these kind of photos accompanied ebay listings? Or if the TPG's started to use these? What a sea change for numismatics.
     
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  9. brandon spiegel

    brandon spiegel Brandon Spiegel

    Woah, thats cool.
     
  10. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    I feel like I've been pwned. :)
     
  11. tommyc03

    tommyc03 Senior Member

    Considering that you own the equipment, have you ever considered doing coin photography as a sideline? I don't think Ken Potter or John Wexler owns one of these.
     
  12. Timewarp

    Timewarp Intrepid Traveler

    Cool pics, Thanks.
     
  13. tommyc03

    tommyc03 Senior Member

    Question for you...This coin shown, a 1983D Lincoln Cent, struck on brass Planchet as certified by NGC is within it's weight tolerance. Is your machine capable of determining the composition of this coin without taking it out of it's holder? I am certain a lot of inquiring minds would like to know if this has been struck on a foreign Planchet as opposed to a U.S. Planchet. It would mean the difference of a value from several hundred dollars if on a foreign Planchet or up to $15,000.00 if stuck on a U.S. Planchet. The story of this coin is in Numismatic News. 1 1983 cent struck on brass planchete.jpg You may be the one person who could solve this mystery and save some future owner a lot of money.
     
  14. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Most new members post photos showing what is barely identifiable as a coin, and then this guy shows up using an electron microscope? Talk about extremes.... Bravo, sir; bravo!
     
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  15. eddiespin

    eddiespin Fast Eddie

    Nasty little die crack. It looks like it caused a little peeling, midway up to the boot.
     
  16. alurid

    alurid Well-Known Member

    Truly amazing photos. Is this scale known as macroscopic or microscopic?
     
  17. eddiespin

    eddiespin Fast Eddie

    The photos are amazing. Indeed.
     
  18. Electron John

    Electron John Active Member

    The coin must be out of its holder to image it and to do elemental composition work (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, aka EDS). Other than that it is a non-destructive analysis. But the electron beam has to come in contact with the coin to work, otherwise it just detects what the holder is made out of.

    What would work for analyzing a coin in a holder is a handheld X-ray fluorescent (XRF) analyzer. I have a friend that uses one for field geology work. You don't get any images but you get accurate compositions from magnesium up to Uranium in seconds. That is probably what NGC uses or should use.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2017
  19. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    XRF technology can detect through slabs. I've watched it done. It would be unreasonable to think NGC didn't XRF this coin while in their possession; how do you think they determined the composition?
     
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  20. Electron John

    Electron John Active Member

    Good question. Macroscopic general refers to things large enough to be examined by the naked eye and microscopic is when you need a microscope to examine it. So while you can certainly see this defect with the naked eye so it is kind of macroscopic but you certainly can't see the detail that these images bring out with the naked eye so I would call even the 35x image a microscopic image. Certainly the higher mag images are microscopic. Another term that would apply is electron micrograph. Although I usually just call them SEM images.
     
  21. Electron John

    Electron John Active Member

    I just thought of that and edited it into my answer above and then after posting it notice that you had just said it. Yes I agree XRF is likely what NGC uses.
     
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