I recently purchased a S-67 for no other reason than the edge shot looked like an edge of 93. It wasn't, but it renewed my interest in identifying as many different edge devices as possible. My problem is that most coins with Lettered Edges do not include the photo of the edge. I am therefore requesting the help of the posters on CT to provide any examples they might find or create of lettered edges by posting them here. I would also ask that this thread be stickyed by the Administrator as a CT board group effort for a numismatic study. This challenge has stopped several people including myself from doing the study individually and I'm interested to see if we can pull this off as a group. My preference would be a shot with LAR and the leaf/leaves centered in the photo, but all examples would be appreciated. I love the Boka Collection shots, but they end at S-19.
Edge of 93 Oval O and Short Tailed R and Leaf Down S-17a Boka Collection S-18a Boka Collection S-19a Boka Collection Edge of 94 Oval O and Long Tailed R and Leaf Up S-18b Boka Collection S-19b Boka Collection
The problems with a study like this is 1, you really need to have fairly high grade coins for making comparisons. 2. I can see you requiring many shots of each edge. Every feature you want to compare really needs to be in the center of the shot. Because you are mapping a curved surface onto a flat plane the further you get from the center the more distorted your image becomes. For example your comparison of the S-67 "round O" edge to the S-18a and 19a "oval O" edges. Is it possible that the 18a and 19a have oval O's because the O is closer to the edge of the image and you are looking at it more "edge on" resulting in a foreshortening of the width of the letter? I can see you needing straight on shot of each letter of the edge inscription, and possibly also the space between each letter. Even then you have to consider slippage of the edge dies, or that the Castaining machine wasn't retracted fully between coins. Of course those two are more involved with the space between the beginning and ending words and not the spacing between individual letters.
Long Tailed R and Leaf up. Edge of 94. It the O looks between oval and rounder and is positioned between the two in the photo so the difference in shape could very well be a photographic illusion as described by Conder. Also, it appears wear on the edge varies widely with some nice sharp coins with weak lettering and very worn coins with sharp lettering. While strike is not the correct term, some blanks apparently went through the castaining machine with more success than others at applying the lettering.
S-61 It appears both the R of FOR and the R of DOLLAR are the Long Tailed with Upturned Leaf. The S-67 appears to have a Long Tailed R at FOR and Short Tailed R at DOLLAR, but it is only a point of investigation at this point. Better example should help confirm or refute this. This S-75 appers to have the typical Edge of 94 with Long Tailed Rs at both FOR and DOLLAR. This S-65 appears to have a Long Tailed R at FOR and Short Tailed Rs at HUNDRED and DOLLAR. Perhaps I need to revisit the others and look at the R at HUNDRED as well.
This S-76a unfortunately offers little help. But I offer it as as an edge shot photo. This S-75 falls into the same category of Not Helpful edge shots. This S-65 appears to have all Rs with Long Tails. This S-30 appears to have a short R at hundred, and Long Rs at FOR and DOLLAR. This S-23 appears to have a Short Tailed R at Hundred and Long Tailed Rs at FOR and DOLLAR like the S-30.
