Is this some kind of way of marking dies?

Ok the picture below is not great but I will try and get better ones if needed. I have about 8 of these coins in copper and silver. I am looking at them I spot 2 perfectly symmetrical round raised disc like raised metal lumps inside this particular device. My first thought was that it was some kind of contact /PMD mark. I look at my other silvers and none have it. I look at the copper versions and one of them has the same exact marking, only it has 1 instead of 2. So next I move to the internet to look at photos of other coins. Most do not have the marking but low and behold I find another silver with the 2 markings. Im pretty sure by the location and size that it is in fact the same marking though the picture might overall be inconclusive. But maybe someone will recognize what I am describing as some kind of standard way to keep track of dies on certain coinage? If its any help these coins are from Uruguay but minted in Santiago Chile mint.

 

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I have found another variation with better pictures. In this case the 2 discs dont line up verticaly the way they do on mine and in the picture above but are in the same exact area.

 

Do you base that on the overall look of the coin or these marks in particular? One thing to note about this coin is that the fields are a matte strike.

My objection to the idea of rust is a couple things. #1 the symmetry of these raised discs is perfect. #2 The location is in the same spot. Now if there was only one variation I could see them all getting the same placement but I have now seen 3 variations of these dots. What are the odds that they would all rust like that in the same area? #3 no other area seems to have them. If rust youd think youd see them in other places as well.

 

These 2 particular dots are VERY differnet from what you have circled. They look very much to be by design. They are perfectly symmetricaly round and identical to each other. There isnt anything else on the coin that looks remotely like them.

 

I hope I didnt come off combative. I just dont think these pictures(nor any that id be able to take) could clearly show what these 2 marks look like in hand. They are very distinct and definetly not some kind of natural phenomal such as rusting of the dies. They look designed.

 

Try and find some examples where there isn't evidence of rust [at all] on the specimens, [inclusive] of the places where Doug (GDJMSP) pointed out, yet inclusive of your aforementioned markings, and post them. If you can, than such specimens could show evidence of your hypothesis. Otherwise, as Doug pointed out, they are likely artifacts from rusty dies.

 

Are we sure these dies are rusty? Because this coin was struck with a heavily matte finish. Could it be that the matte comes out like rust in the pics? I will try and get pics of my in hand specimans. Thanks.

 

I concur with Doug. And to me, the right top quadrant certainly looks very much like evidence of rusty dies. Take another photo if you think it's the matte making it look like that - though I seriously doubt it.

You said yourself you found other specimens with the artifact you described - both on silver and on a copper. Examine those, and see if they exhibit similar [rusty die] phenomena. If they don't, then post them...

 

And revisiting your original question - such artifacts could be evidence of deliberate die marking, or not. At the end of the day, since you described other specimens with one or two marks, it could be simply that there were several different reverse dies that were utilized.

 

Well we would be up to 4 by my count. the no dots would be #1. 1 dot would be #2. 2 dots on top of each #3. And the offset in picture 3 would make #4.

 

Yup.

 

I have a lens adapter coming in the mail later today for macro shooting. Hopefully I can help you guys help me get to the bottom of this.

 

Ok here we go:

 

Yes, indeed... important... please post pics relevant to theory at hand.

 

I did not zoom into any other areas the way I did there, but if you tell me which of these spots youd like me to get closer on I can take those pics later. Nothing looks like these 2 dots though. HOWEVER, on another speciman I have found INCUSE versions of these same RAISED dots in other areas. So now im really stumped.

 

Should I take more pics or is this one going to go under undefined? I'd like to put this to rest more for your sake than mine.