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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bob Evancho, post: 5282830, member: 84595&quot;]My question would be, &quot; Why would a Branch Mint send an already cracked and cracking Die to another Branch Mint&quot;? Take the 1878 VAM 44 or 44A.&nbsp; How long did the die last after cracking?&nbsp; Or the 1878 VAM 9.&nbsp; It is suspected to have failed after producing around 300 coins.&nbsp; Let us look at the 1896-o micro o.&nbsp; Yet PCGS originally graded and authenticated this variety.&nbsp; One wonders how a die from 1899-o micro o could have been used in 1896.&nbsp; One can see the 1900-o or 1902-o micro o&#039;s but not the 1896-o micro o.&nbsp; What die pairings logically cannot exist?&nbsp; One wonders if the grading services actually determine authenticity each time by the die characteristics of a coin in any denomination?&nbsp; You have brought up a very interesting question.&nbsp; It is a good reason to buy the book before you buy the coin.&nbsp; I&#039;m sure there are counterfeiters out there trying to figure out how to fool the coin collector. Another aspect would be to trace back the history of the counterfeit coin.&nbsp; When did it first come on the market.&nbsp; Who was it purchased from?&nbsp; Who did that person purchase such a valuable coin from?&nbsp; As the young lady pushing a stroller with a child inside tells the pawn shop, &quot;I got this coin from my grandfather&quot;.&nbsp; Or in one of my cases, &quot; we found this box of coins in the house we bought&quot;. The 35 coins were all altered from original coins to make into valuable coins such as 1877 Indian head cents made from 1879 Indian cents.&nbsp; They were eventually sent to ICG to be encapsulated &quot;For Educational Purposes&quot;.&nbsp; It&#039;s important to be a happy reference reader and study die characteristics of the coins you want to collect.&nbsp; One can learn a lot from the many coin experts on Coin Talk.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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