Grade this New Walker Pickup

I think you will find this feature on most coins from the 20th century, particularly around the middle of the century. Before that, for some reason, the planchets didn't have this effect to the same extent even when weakly struck. I would hazard a guess, not being a mint process expert or even aficionado, that they handled the planchets in a certain way to cause this and the weakly struck coins from this period exhibit this as a result. All IMO, and based on my own observations, of course, while recognizing there are diverging viewpoints on this issue in particular.

 

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Leadfoot, excellent comments, and right on!

 

cleaned

 

I recall you saying that a few times, but I'm not sure I agree with this assessment. For instance, there are many, many examples of large cents where die polish lines do criss-cross, and I cannot for the life of me understand how criss-crossing die polish is not possible.

As an example: When you take a piece of large-grit sandpaper to a piece of wood and rub it in two directions, you have criss-crossing lines. Why can't the same thing happen on the much harder surface of a die?

 

Your comments concerning a spinning plate are the first I've heard of this. The large cents with criss-cross die polish, however, are not disputable (IMO)-- they have criss-crossed die polish. Perhaps large cents were polished by hand not by the wheel?

That said, I'm not at all convinced that die polishing completely obliterates prior die polish. Perhaps if the spinning plate was kept there for some time, but I can easily visualize one set of die polish lines not being completely obliterated by the subsequent polishing.

I guess I'm still skeptical based on what I've seen in other series. Not being a Walker (or modern) collector of serious note, I do admit to being ingorant of these coins and mint procedures by and in large.

 

Doug, I believe you are absolutely wrong on this issue - as I have stated in the past. We'll just have to agree to disagree, although it has been interesting conversation. By the way, if the polish lines were created on a spinning plate, wouldn't they all be circular? How do we get straight lines (which the majority of die polish I have seen is)?

The die lump is quite interesting, as you say - I don't know how that got there.

 

I am certain that, on numerous occasions, I have seen die polish lines going in more than one direction. I don't claim to know how it was done, only that it was done.

 

Physics, I assume that the plate is large enough so the lines would appear straight on the smaller dies.

I have no idea what made those line nor why they were made. However, I can assure you they were made by hand or the most shaky machine anyone has ever made.

Mark, Not that I know anything about those line, but you call them die polish lines. Are you sure that is what they are? I do not have a clue why else they would be doing anything like that to the die, but any polishing I have ever seen is done with very fine items (usually grit). Whatever made those scratches (and other similar lines I have seen) is orders of magnitude larger than anything I would connect to polishing.

 

I wasn't commenting on that particular coin. But it looks to have heavy die polish, which would not be particularly unusual for that date. But, since I haven't seen it in hand, I certainly can't be sure about what I'm seeing.


Since I haven't seen the coin in hand, I can't be sure what I'm seeing.

 

Would a mint worker ever dress up a die while it was still mounted in the press?

 

I know everyone (except Doug) calls them die polish lines. What my question was are we sure that whatever and whoever is making those line is trying to polish the die? I really don't know what else they could be doing, but polishing just does not look right to me with the size of those scratches. Dumb thought - scraping grease/crud off the die?

 

My 40-S has quite a few die polish lines although I just checked and it's not evident from the image I have of it. A very tough date to find with a decent central strike.
Jason, I would grade yours a 64 from the photos. It's an interesting
looking coin and I would agree with Mike that the die polish lines should not be mistaken for cleaning. A common mistake when you first start looking at Walkers.

 

It seems to me that a procedure employed by US Mint for that many years would be documented. Is there a way to find the written procedures for die polishing?

I don't doubt that a spinning zinc plate was used for the polishing, but are we missing a secondary step that was done by hand, possibly a cleaning step after the polishing?

 

Or a cleaning process while the die is still in the press?

 

Dremmel

 

I just saw this picture posted on another forum by Rick Snow, of a 55 DDO:





While not nearly the 90 degree offset I've seen on Large Cents, these die polish lines clearly criss-cross.....Mike

 

I've also posted a thread ATS to solicit information on die polishing techniques used by the mint:

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=792191