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1834 Capped Bust Half. Edge Lettering Issues
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11 posts in this topic

Just bought this 1834 Capped Bust Half.  Weight and diameter is good but the edge lettering is messed up,  doubled and extra letters.

Reads FIFTYTY CENTSTS HALF A DODOLLAR

Thoughts?

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Edited by benjmurts
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Because of the way the letters were applied, edge lettering errors are not terribly uncommon on Bust Half Dollars,although I thing doubled lettering may be a bit less common than some other types

. Looks like an O-110, Small Date,Small Letters, which is listed as an R3.

I found a post by Conder101 on another forum from 2008 that had drawings  of the Castaing machine used to apply the letters.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/capped-bust-lettered-edge-half-dollar.39789/

 

And here is a picture of one on display in the ANA museum:

 

Castaing_machine.jpg

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On 6/12/2020 at 5:52 PM, Just Bob said:

Because of the way the letters were applied, edge lettering errors are not terribly uncommon on Bust Half Dollars,although I thing doubled lettering may be a bit less common than some other types

. Looks like an O-110, Small Date,Small Letters, which is listed as an R3.

I found a post by Conder101 on another forum from 2008 that had drawings  of the Castaing machine used to apply the letters.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/capped-bust-lettered-edge-half-dollar.39789/

 

And here is a picture of one on display in the ANA museum:

 

Castaing_machine.jpg

Please explain to us how that thing puts letters on the edge of a coin. 

OP  Edge errors as yours are very collectible.  In my experience they are very uncommon.

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2 hours ago, Insider said:

Please explain to us how that thing puts letters on the edge of a coin. 

The coin is placed between the fixed die (attached to the fixture at the upper left of the picture), and the movable die ( on the geared rod, about three inches from the left.) When the crank is turned, the coin rotates between the dies and receives the lettering from the dies. Conder101's explanation in the Cointalk thread linked above probably explains it better than I did.

 

2 hours ago, Insider said:

OP  Edge errors as yours are very collectible.  In my experience they are very uncommon.

You have seen and handled many, many more Bust halves than I have, so if you feel that edge errors are not common, I certainly would trust your expertise more than I would information found on the web. (thumbsu

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9 hours ago, Just Bob said:

The coin is placed between the fixed die (attached to the fixture at the upper left of the picture), and the movable die ( on the geared rod, about three inches from the left.) When the crank is turned, the coin rotates between the dies and receives the lettering from the dies. Conder101's explanation in the Cointalk thread linked above probably explains it better than I did.

 

 

You have described the process very well.  The coin edge is rolled on to the coin when it is contact with a moving die.   I still don't see how this machine can do it.  Where does the coin go?   Thanks.

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I found this on another forum posted by an advanced Bust Half collector (Lance).  It is easy to see how coins are rolled along the length of two dies.  I cannot for the life of me understand how the contraption in the ANA Museum works!    

Here's a description of the castaing machine from an 1819 account.
Lance.

"The machine used for this purpose consists of two plates of steel in form of rulers, on which the edging is engraved, half on the one, and half on the other. One of these plates is immovable, being strongly bound with screws to a copper plate on a board or table; the other is movable, and slides on the copper plate by means of a handle, and a wheel, or pinion, of iron, the teeth of which catch in other teeth, on the surface of the sliding plate. The planchet, being placed horizontally between these two plates, is carried along by the motion of the movable one; so as by the time that it had made half a turn, it is found marked all round."

uykncqpueavh.jpg

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Just now, Insider said:

I found this on another forum posted by an advanced Bust Half collector (Lance).  It is easy to see how coins are rolled along the length of two dies.  I cannot for the life of me understand how the contraption in the ANA Museum works!    

Here's a description of the castaing machine from an 1819 account.
Lance.

"The machine used for this purpose consists of two plates of steel in form of rulers, on which the edging is engraved, half on the one, and half on the other. One of these plates is immovable, being strongly bound with screws to a copper plate on a board or table; the other is movable, and slides on the copper plate by means of a handle, and a wheel, or pinion, of iron, the teeth of which catch in other teeth, on the surface of the sliding plate. The planchet, being placed horizontally between these two plates, is carried along by the motion of the movable one; so as by the time that it had made half a turn, it is found marked all round."

uykncqpueavh.jpg

I just figured it out!  At the left end of the gear rack is a 1 1/2 inch die.  The other die is at the upper edge of the platform.   IMHO, they need a better example in the museum OR put a copy of this drawing and explanation with their "machine."    :)   

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