interesting 54-S examples progressive die wear-related blobs

coppersleuth · Advanced Member

Looking in same roll as the BIE example of 54-S from my earlier post, I found another showing what appears to be early stages of the BIE forming.

Look at the full BIE and compare to the "early" stages:

Also, here are a couple of photos of blobs forming on AND around the date area:

Bob P · Site Admin

1954 was another year that they let the dies get way over used. These are nice examples of how bad they got. The die progression of the BIE is great. Nice pics too!

JRocco · Veteran Member

Those really are nice pics.
I have found the study of die chips/cracks to be fascinating. Especially when you hit on a nice run of coins showing the progression of the crack and/or chip.
As for BIE's and IIB's and all other combo's - some can be really interesting.

coop · Expert Member

John: I've seen that 1958-D one before.

JRocco · Veteran Member

That is the coin coop.
Nice example you have there.

This may sound really strange, but the markings under the 5 remind me of Alfred Hitchcock in profile....

Weird

Dick · Expert Member

Coop, John is one of us! He just gave away his "vintage", when he referred to Alfred Hitchcock looked, in profile: Weird.
Dick

KurtS · Senior Member

coop · Expert Member

Wear, cleanings, damaged. They all happen to the die. After continued use the dies get weaker/ lose tempering with the heat from the pressings. But something we for get. How big would an object be to make marks/gouges on a field? Consider the smallest screwdriver you have and compare it with the mint mark. Still looks huge. So under a microscope everything thing looks larger than it really is.
What made me think of that is this:
The other day I had a small sliver in my hand. I placed the finger with the sliver under the scope. I could see it plain as day. I could see the angle it entered and removed it with a pair of tweezers. When I saw the tweezers under the scope, they looked they two large nails. So it helps to realize how small a world we live in under the scope. So these marks (even Alfred) is very small.

Dick · Expert Member

Coop, I see I am not the only one who has resorted to the 'scope to find, and remove a pesky sliver! Be it wood, or steel, it still hurts like the very devil!
On another note, I got my "wheats" today from 310porscheguy. I have inventoried three rolls, so far, and have gotten a pretty good cross section of "P-D-S"'s. The oldest so far is 1930. Nine more rolls to check, and I'll let you know how they all turned out.
Dick