Background: So, a while back I was admiring my collection when it hit me...I was driving myself nuts with the lack of conformity to my collection. coins in all type of different size flips, various number of staples in these flips, pointing different directions, writing on them by different people, prices, date, grade all in different positions around the flip, etc. I pushed it off, but the more I admired the collection, the more it took away from the joy. So, in my obsessive behavior (I'm a coin guy, so that personality comes naturally) I ordered some 2X2s and started to transfer them and make them look all uniform, with four staples all facing the same way around the coin. In addition, I thought it would be nice, if they all had one writing...mine on the flip, with one color ink. In the top left corner of the flip would be date and mintmark. Top right grade. Bottom right, price I paid. Bottom left, mintage. So, going through my Mercs, I got to 1928 large and small S. Looked in the Merc Guide and it only has relative guesses in the form of percentages to the population of each. Most online sources combine the two. I cannot for the life of me find separate numbers to the mintages of large and small S for any of those years with this variety. So, question: Did the mint even keep such record? (My guess is not, otherwise I would have found those numbers by now for all mintmark varieties in my merc collection.) If so, who would I have to bribe to obtain such numbers? Elaine perchance? Thanks for any help.
Mercury Dimes are for some reason a coin with many different varieties and many not discussed or found or so it appears. Also, not to many books or articles about that coin which is really odd since it is one of the more common ones collected by so many people. For example in many older Albums there was no mention of the 42/41. Then later as it was added it was noted a 42D/41. Used to be only the 45S was noted for different sized Mint marks. Now more and more are popping up with large and small. The latest Red Book only shows large and small Mint marks for the 28S, 34D, 41S and the 45S. However, my collection has many, many more large and small Mint marks. I presently have well over 3,000 Mercury Dimes. No where is it mentioned of the large quantity of Rotated Reverses on that coin. Yet I find about 25% to 30% have that problem. Not sure why so little is documented about that coin since so many are interested in collecting them.
Sadness...figured as much. Just wanted to make sure I did not overlook any resource. And yes, Just Carl, I agree. There are many varieties out there. I get them when I find them/suspect a different size mark and if they are in the grade that is acceptable in my set but many are unreckognized. Someone should really do more research for population and die variety purposes. Oh well. Maybe one day...
