railroad cents (no, not smashed. lol)

Discussion in 'What's it Worth' started by sweet wheatz, May 1, 2009.

  1. sweet wheatz

    sweet wheatz Senior Member

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  3. Pyrbob

    Pyrbob Member

    They call them railroad rims because they look like railroad wheels with one small diameter part way back and a bigger diameter behind it. The more correct term is a partial collar. But your coin looks more like a groove in the edge and this is just damage. It is cause by being removed from a lucky coin holder. The edge of the coin is deformed when it is put into the holder. Sorry.
     
  4. sweet wheatz

    sweet wheatz Senior Member

    would it be all the way around the rim if it was from a holder. It also looks oblong but is not bent.
     
  5. Pyrbob

    Pyrbob Member

    The coins broken out of lucky holders (encasements) could be damaged the whole way around the edge or part way around and they could be flat or bent depending on how much care was taken when removing them from the encasement. The thing to remember is a groove around the edge is not a railroad rim. A railroad rim (partial collar) is caused by the collar not coming up the whole way when the coin is struck. When a planchet enters the coining chamber it is struck by 3 dies. The lower or anvil die is stationary. The upper or hammer die moves down to strike the coin. Then there is the collar which is around the edge of the planchet that forms the edge of the coin. On cents and nickels this edge is smooth and on clad coins it is reeded or grooved. When a planchet enters the chamber the collar is retracted. Then as the coin is struck the collar raises so that when the upper and lower dies strike the coin metal is forced outward against the collar forming the edge of the coin. A railroad rim is formed when the collar gets stuck before it comes up the whole way and only forms the rim partway up the edge of the coin. Then as the coin is struck metal flows outward and forms a partial edge at the collar and above the collar metal flows out farther giving a bigger diameter edge. So you have 2 diameters on the edge giving the railroad wheel effect. This does not form a groove. A groove on the edge is commonly seen on forums and it is damage from being broken out of the encasements. The minting process won't cause this. I know this is wordy but I was trying to help you understand why a groove is not a partial collar error. I hope this helps but if you still have questions keep asking.
     
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