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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 968616, member: 112&quot;]Mike I am well aware of what the general consensus is and what is most commonly found on the internet. However, in the history of minting coins adjusting coins for weight has a very long history. And throughout that history the weight was always&nbsp; checked &amp; adjusted <u>after</u> the coins were struck. This was the practice used for centuries and it is recounted in many, many books.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now for the most part there were very, very few US coins who had their weight adjusted past 1821 simply because it was no longer necessary. But there are some few examples up until 1840. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now if one considers that the mint employees at the early US mint not only came from Europe but learned their trade in Europe as well, where coins were always adjusted for weight <u>after</u> striking, does it make much sense that they would suddenly change and start adjusting them before striking ? No, it doesn&#039;t.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then how do we explain the belief that US coins were adjusted after striking ? I think it is pretty simple really. After 1821 when adjusting coins had stopped the method of the practice was forgotten for the most part since it was not needed. And after that period of nearly 30 years the staff at the mint was also replaced. And because they had not been there when coins were commonly adjusted, they were not aware that adjusting was done after striking. So when the rare case arose that a coin needed adjusting, one of them came up with the idea of checking before the coins were struck and they began checking the planchets and doing the adjusting then.</p><p><br /></p><p>That is why in today&#039;s world what you find on web sites and such is that coins were adjusted before striking. This is what is thought because that was the way it was done at the last before the practice ended all together.</p><p><br /></p><p>While I can&#039;t sit here a quote titles to you there are many books on US coins that relate this as well - that coins were adjusted after striking. And I have no doubt that some coins were adjusted before striking - but only those at the end of the practice. The majority of those that were ever adjusted were done after striking just like they had been for hundreds and hundreds of years.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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