Starting an Ike Collection

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No but they are thinner.

 

@19Lyds Thank you! I wanted a picture of those close up and you did it.

 

I realize that this has been answered and that you've already released your coin but I thought I share what I do.

The slab for the brown Ike's is haphazardly sealed. As such, some come apart easily while others are really, really, tough.

Since there are no notches on the slab, I usually start with my X-Acto knife on one corner of the slab.
I worked the knife with kind of a twisting motion on the seam until I can get the knife firmly into the corner.
Next I do a little prying until I hear the slab crack.
After this, I'll use one of the screw drivers from my hobby set and work the crack until I can slip the screw driver between the two halves of the slab. By now, the slab has separated about an inch or two along both edges.
I then slip the screw driver into the slab about a quarter of an inch and then slide it down the slab on the long edge.
Once you get going, the slab pretty much just comes apart but you have to be careful not to let the screw driver slip too far into the slab lest you drag it across the coin.

Once the slab is separated, you'll have to free the coin from the black plastic insert.

The hole in the insert is bevel (angled) where the top hole is slightly larger than the bottom.

The coin needs to be released from the reverse side.

If I cannot push the coin out, using either a soft handkerchief or cotton gloves, I'll hold the insert upside down and give it a twist over a soft cotton towel or some other sift surface.

If the twisting doesn't work, I'll put the short edge of the insert on the towel and then bend the insert until the coin falls out.

Some of these can be really tough BUT not nearly as tough as removing a proof IKE from wither the 1975 or 1976 Proof Sets. Those are danged near impossible since the seal is around each individual coin.

 

To got the Brown Ike out I took pliers and cracked one edge by crimping and pulling up. After that the plastic came off easy and nothing was done to the coin. Getting out of the black plastic insert was tough, I don't remember which side I pushed on to get it out. I wore latex gloves though and didn't do anything to the coin. I have a feeling I will be doing this a lot.

 

It is important to understand that when cladking says "planchet flaws", what he is referring to is annealing marks which occur as the coins are tumbled in the annealing ovens to soften them up for striking. Due to the conical shape of the typical die, the outer edges of the coin receive less pressure and with copper-nickel clad coins of this size, those annealing marks simply do not strike out when a die saving/press saving pressure is used during the striking process.

These are most noticeable on the 1971 and 1972 Philadelphia coins and this is typically referred to as "chicken scratching".

Typically, an annealing mark looks more like at "rupture" in the coins surface where as a "hit" will be sharp and possibly show reeding marks. Most are noticeable on the relief areas of the coin. IKE's cheek, jaw, forehead.

Once these coins are struck and cool down, they are incredibly hard but in pristine uncirculated condition, the reeding can easily scratch or ding other IKE's.

 

I could be wrong but I do not believe that the cello used to package Blue Ikes contained ANY PVC and as such, your dealer was wrong.

NOTE: Milk Spotting has occured on US Mint "SILVER" coins since the 50's and can be, IMO, directly related to poor rinsing techniques used by the US Mint. Meaning, dirty rinse water.

I have seen 1971-S Blue Packs that are "smeared" with milk spots or a milky coating. These coins are lost from a numismatic perspective as this stuff simply does NOT come off and if anybody knows a sure file method of removing this, submit your idea to PCGS as they have a standing $50,000 reward.


Also Note: 1971 was the inaugural year for the Eisenhower Dollar and the US Mint had not produced a coin this large since 1934 (37 years). As such, handling and minting techniques were lost to the generations and had to be rewritten.

For 1971, the 40% Silver collector pieces were shipped to the packaging facility in 1,000 coin bags which accounts for the overall terrible condition of the 1971-S coins compared to the 1972-S thru 1976-S coins which were shipped in "tubes".

 

Great info, Lee

 

Dip that puppy in E-Z-Est followed with a thorough rinse with running water followed with a dip in distilled water followed with a dip in 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

I keep a "dip set" under my sink consisting of dated E-Z-Est, Distilled Water, Alcohol and two short glasses. The alcohol glass only sees alcohol while the distilled water glass only sees distilled water.

Important NOTE, regardless of where you live or how great you think your water might be, I can guarantee that your water has some type of crud in it. Distilled Water is pure. So pure that it does not even conduct electricity. Always use distilled water as your final rinse before the alcohol.

If it doesn't look better I'll buy you a new one.

PS - Your acetone was dirty.

 

So I am going to an LCS near work today during my lunch break. I will extend it so I have time to go through some Ikes. What price point for business strike Ikes should I look for and at what dollar value is he over charging me? This guy has horned me in the past so I want to make sure it doesn't happen again. The only dealer I trust is 45 minutes away and I wouldn't have time to get there today.

 

Do you pat dry after the alcohol?

 

I would not pay more than $2.00 for any IKE unless it rang my bell. By that, I mean BOOMING Luster and a minimum of flaws.

You know, you can still order IKE's in $500 and $1,000 bags but you really have to have a vault teller that is willing to work with you.
By that, what I mean is that you have to tell the teller that orders coin that the IKE Dollar is STILL listed as a coin which can be ordered on the Federal Reserve Coin ordering system.


print the above and give the teller a copy to explain what it is you want to order.

Again, your bank MUST be willing to work with you otherwise, they simply blow you off.

BTW, when I've ordered these bags in the past, they not only contained IKE's but also contained, Morgans, Peace Dollars, Silver Eagles, miscellaneous medals or silver and non-silver composition and 1 oz silver rounds.

USUALLY, when your banks orders IKE's for you, they don't want you to return them so, you're going to have to find some other bank to dump what you don't want. And your dump bank MUST be a different Bank not just a different branch.

Open an account. I have three at three different, unrelated banks. Actually, two banks and a credit union.

 

I used table napkins. Once the coin comes out of the alcohol, I remove the residual alcohol off the coin by touching it to a paper towel. I then put the coin on the napkin and fold the napkin over onto the coin and simply press around the surface of the coin. Flip, repeat.

I do not recommend using hot water.

 

I coin roll hunt Halves so I know the drill. Have accounts with two different banks. I'll see what I can do on ordering a bag.

 

@19Lyds @MontCollector @cladking

Here is a checklist I just made from the Red Book with some clarifications on the Brown and Blue Ikes and I excluded the 1776-1976 Silver Clad Variety 2. Let me know if it is correct and comprehensive.

Ike Dollar Check List


1) 1971

2) 1971D Variety 1

3) 1971D Variety 2 (modified with accented crater lines)

4) 1971S Silver Clad Proof (Brown)

5) 1971S Silver Clad Unc. (Blue)

6) 1972 Variety 1

7) 1972 Variety 2

8) 1972 Variety 3

9) 1972D

10) 1972S Silver Clad Proof (Brown)

11) 1972S Silver Clad Unc. (Blue)

12) 1973

13) 1973D

14) 1973S

15) 1973S Silver Clad Proof (Brown)

16) 1973S Silver Clad Unc. (Blue)

17) 1974

18) 1974D

19) 1974S

20) 1974S Silver Clad Proof (Brown)

21) 1974 S Silver Clad Unc. (Blue)

22) 1776-1976 Variety 1

23) 1776-1976 Variety 2

24) 1776-1976D Variety 1

25) 1776-1976D Variety 2

26) 1776-1976S Variety 1

27) 1776-1976S Variety 2

28) 1776-1976S Silver Clad Proof

29) 1776-1976S Silver Clad Unc.

30) 1977

31) 1977D

32) 1977S

33) 1978

34) 1978D

35) 1978S

 

Looks like the only thing you're missing would be off-metal errors.

 

Thank you for the additional information, Lee. Much appreciated!

 

Do you think the CPG will eventually include the Type 6 and 7 reverses?

 

Thanks Mike, I don't think I will be going for those, at least any time soon due to funds. Appreciate all the help in this thread and the Acetone one.

 

enjoy collecting them, Bman33! It's a really nice series and of all of the moderns, it might be my personal favorite.