QUIZ: Why are the details missing on the Indian's head?

1) Should be worn on the highest devices then moving to lower devices depending on the amount of wear. There should be marks in the fields and edges, but not always. A pocket piece can show severe wear and few contact marks but won’t have luster.
2) Debris filled die will result in weakened or may eliminate the the affected devices. This is common on the outer devices but not limited to them. There should be luster on coins in MS or close.
3) TBH, I am not familiar with this. I will have to research it!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Danomite, posted: "Should be worn on the highest devices [That's why there is no design. The clue that is coin is not worn is the full FLAT STRIKE mint luster in the area missing the design. Wear shows as a change of color with micro scratches] then moving to lower devices depending on the amount of wear. There should be marks in the fields and edges, but not always. A pocket piece can show severe wear and few contact marks but won’t have luster."

2) "Debris filled die will result in weakened or may eliminate the the affected devices. [and the weak area will look like....?] This is common on the outer devices but not limited to them. There should be luster on coins in MS or close."

3) "TBH, I am not familiar with this. I will have to research it!"

Help me anyone? What does the surface of a flat strike or strike thru look like?

 

A strike through grease will look weak, hazy, almost ghost-like in appearance and it may obliterate some of the design completely or almost completely

 

The voids between the dies are designed to be filled with a volume of metal that exactly equals the volume of a planchet. If you add in some grease, now you have too much stuff to fit. The striking is trying to force too much material into a fixed volume. That should exert extra pressure throughout both the grease and the metal.

Since the “grease” blob is probably not very compressible, the flow of metal into that void stops when its pressure is equalized by the pressure pushing back from the compressing grease. I would imagine this would create a new surface that is flat. Very likely, this does a good job of smoothing out planchet marks because of the higher than usual pressure. I would also expect other areas of the coin to be unusually well struck because of the extra pressure forcing the metal into every nook and cranny.

I, too, am not sure what a flat strike is, but I will guess. Let’s take a planchet, like this one.



It is fairly beaten up. The tumbling with other planchets leaves a dense pattern of small dings. If the dies are a little far apart, there will be more room in the die chamber than there is metal in the planchet. Where the dies come fully into contact with the planchet they can push the metal and eradicate most or all of the random dings.

However, if you have a large void in the die, such as the Indian’s head or the buffalo’s shoulder, then too little metal will be pushed from the rim area up into the big void. The result is that much of the surface of the planchet will be untouched, and, well, flat. The surface of the coin in that area should still look just like the planchet we see above.

 

Ok, I believe a flat strike is a weak strike? Best I can glean from what I’ve researched (other than error reference definition), please correct me if I’m wrong. A debris (greaser) strike is usually weak and dull in the affected areas. The rims tend to be sharp with no taper (or almost nonexistent) of the upset planchet, fields or other unaffected areas should have luster due to the increased displaced volume. A debris filled strike tends to affect the outer devices but so does a weak strike (which may have less luster in the unaffected areas), of course that’s not all inclusive on either. A weak strike can have the characteristics of an upset planchet that hasn’t been struck out. A weak strike may not strike out any planchet flaws, but a debris filled die may add some marks depending on the debris composition. So I’m still confused. Taper on the rim (gut feeling only) says weak strike. If I’m wrong on any of this, please (anyone) correct me.

 

Back in to old days...

Technical Grading used at two authentication services ONLY IN DC evolved to describe a coin as accurately and precise as humanly possible. Coins were graded using florescent light and a stereo microscope set at low power. We could see ALL the defects (including hairlines) and rub on the coin despite an incandescent light was not used. All the attributes used to grade a coin were divided into smaller categories. The aim of technical grading was to be able to identify a coin and describe it as best we could to someone who could not see it.

The "strike" leg of the "technical" grading stool was broken down into:

Strong
Normal
Weak
Flat

 

Ok

When is the verdict going to be revealed?

 

Great to see you posting over here @Insider . Miss seeing you across the street. It isn't the same without you.