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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Clawcoins, post: 3409406, member: 77814&quot;]excluding any mechanical action in relation to the minting process,</p><p><br /></p><p>A die deteriorates over time because you have a metal piece banging against another metal piece (which is replaced each time).&nbsp; Dies are normally used from 1 to 3 days all dependent upon how quickly the metal fatigues and breaks down.</p><p><br /></p><p>There is &quot;early die state&quot; all the way to &quot;late die state&quot;</p><p>in early die state the image on the coin is &quot;crisp and sharp&quot;</p><p>as metal fatigues and wears; pieces even fall off .. like a car tire if you may ... the &quot;sharpness&quot; decreases and you lose that sharpness except over a very short period of time.</p><p><br /></p><p>also in the case of an individual letter, as an example, the sharp definition of that letter can loose the edges and start having flat, expanded areas around it. </p><p><br /></p><p>but adding some mechanical action, MD is when the die shifts slightly while being struck. The die is replaceable in the &quot;mount&quot; and can come loose ever so slightly during it&#039;s use .. which can be during any phase of &quot;die state&quot;.</p><p><a href="http://www.lincolncentresource.com/FAQ/machinedoubling.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.lincolncentresource.com/FAQ/machinedoubling.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.lincolncentresource.com/FAQ/machinedoubling.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>you may want to read the articles in this thread</p><p><a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/alternative-metals-testing-for-us-coinage.333055/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/alternative-metals-testing-for-us-coinage.333055/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/alternative-metals-testing-for-us-coinage.333055/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>you have to remember this one thing ... Circulated coins are made for commerce, not for collecting in the eyes of the US MINT.&nbsp; Quantity supercedes quality.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you want to look at Proof coins, then quality supercedes quantity.</p><p><br /></p><p>but, you may be asking about varies problems in relation to the (a) die usage problem versus the (b) machine usage problems .. which can create various issues with the minted coin, especially when combined.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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