Question on lettered edge Capped Bust Half

The edge is supposed to read "fifty cents or half a dollar". Is it normal for the "or" and "half" to overlap like this? It's an 1830, FWIW.

 

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I don't know if I'd call it "normal," but "common" is probably in play. They were done individually and separately in a device called a Castaing Machine, not during the strike. Imagine two flat strips between which the coin was rolled with enough pressure to impart the edge lettering, and you have the basic concept. Hops, skips and jumps were quite possible.

 

Still, the effort back then is superior to what is accomplished today in 'edge lettering of Presidential Dollars. Truly disappointing.

(modern times, not classic)

 

What Dave said .

 

I'd agree, here's 2 of mine......."Fifty Cents Orlf a Dollar"


Fifty Cents Of a Dollar.....

 

If you do a search here on CT You will find a member named Bonedigger who wrote a thread on this subject . He also posted the combinations of edge lettering errors and mistakes . It's quite interesting read as well as finding the correct number to your specimen .

 

Can't letter edges, can't strike Mercs with Full Bands, can't really do anything which resembles "craftsmanship" any longer. Can we sub our production out to the Canadian Mint or something?

 

very common, the doubled edge letterings are scarce.

I only have a couple of them

 

No they don't have the capacity, they are full up producing this months twenty new issues.