Early Column Bar Cent

Bob P · Site Admin

Hi Folks,
This thread is two-fold in that is asks for your assistance in identifying the earliest known column bar cents, and to show what I found today.
For those of you who search for and/or collect the column bar cents, has anyone found one from the 80s yet? It doesn't matter how minor, I am just trying to peg down the earliest time frame they were known to have been struck.
Today, I found a 1987D column bar cent as shown below. It beats (by 9 years) the earliest one we have on the site. There may be some out there that are just as early, but haven't been listed because they are too minor. I have placed this one on the site as well for now. You can view it here:

http://www.coppercoins.com/lincoln/diestate.php?date=1987&die_id=1987d1dr001&die_state=mds

murphy · Senior Member

Cool! I don't think I have one that old, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. Cool

hasfam · Veteran Member

The earliest I have found is 1996. I wonder what the similiarities are with 2 different minting processes over the past 20 years.
Rock

Dick · Expert Member

Bob, this is the earliest I can find, for the moment:
1989D-1DR-00X

It is dark, but maybe useful.
Later, w/more light.

Dick

wavysteps2003 · Expert Member

"I wonder what the similiarities are with 2 different minting processes over the past 20 years"

Bob and I talked briefly over the phone about this very subject.

This is not an axiom but is a theory.

We know that the Mint began experimenting with the single squeeze process in Oct.1985 (fiscal year 1986) and to date, the earliest know wavy step was produced in 1986 (found by Chuck). With the extensive studies I have completed on both wavy steps and now trail dies, it is firmly believed, among the experts, that these two anomalies are a product of the single squeeze process. This may very well be true with the extra columns also. No extra column has been found before the 1986 date and in fact, as Bob P. pointed out, he has found the earliest.

There is a lot that we do not know about the single squeeze process and the anomalies that are being produced by this system. It is through studies, such as the one that I am conducting (with the help of others) and the study being conducted by Bill Slaughter on extra columns, that we may unlock some of the answers. That is why we ask you to look for these anomalies.

We do appreciate any and all help that we can get.

BJ Neff

garylcsr · Veteran Member

how about this one Bob with the three bar's?
Gary

by the way you saw this one and i don't remember exactly what you said it was but you was not positive about it.
just in case you don't remember it.

[IMG]

hasfam · Veteran Member

It seems that would be a huge, major undertaking considering how many different column bars that seem to be showing up. I would think it would require hundreds of samples, photo overlays, comparisons of hundreds of markers. It almost makes me wonder if there is some sort of progression going on due to the various locations and sizes of the bars. Or maybe, even though its a single hub process, could the hub be popping in the center upon impact? if that makes sense to anyone. I don't know who Bill Slaughter is, (sorry Bill if you're on the forum and I don't know you) but I applaud his efforts on this mission. I'm sure the work he is doing along with your work on the wavy steps, BJ will help me and a whole lot of hobbists.
Rock

BankRolls · Advanced Member

For the most part, I have found it difficult to search older coins for extra bars/columns due to the zinc separating, and over all UGLY coins. Confused

I do look when I have some worth looking at, but haven't found any myself.

Dick · Expert Member

Gentlemen, good evening! Why would someone say the coins are ugly? Just because the "self-destruct", and ruin everything they touch? Or maybe it's because some of us remember the CIRCULATING Gold coins, all those nice silver coins. Then came the Copper coins,(Lincoln) that is, and then in '82 things changed. And HOW they changed! Look all around you. See any silver coins? Gold? Nope! ZINC, YES, also spelled T-R-A-S-H! The DOW is going up, out of sight, and our coinage in going down to where it is a thing of shame! This has not been a good day! Except for the Dodgers. They are about to be beat by the Pirates! Two outs to go. Game 3:2, with two outs to go. Game tied 3:3. Looks like someone threw zinc into the game! And on to the tenth.
Dick