1903 Indian Cent; Tapered Planchet Error 0

[ProfHaroldHill]

When I spotted this in a dealers bulk bin of Indian Cents, many years ago, I thought it was a severe case of grease filled dies. That alone would make it worth the 90 cents cost, but a few years back I learned that it's actually a coin struck on a defective planchet. (Known as a tapered planchet error, sometimes called a thinned or thinning planchet.) At 2.75 grams it's well below the normal 3.11 grams +/- .15 

Where the design is at its weakest, the rim shows virtually only the effect of the upsetting mill, not the normally full rim imparted by the metal hitting the collar during striking. There just wasn't enough metal there to get the full design and rims.

[RWB]

The bronze cent blanks were supplied by Scovill in Waterbury, CT. I have no details on their rolling and blanking operations.

(How did you cope with being the only bass - tuba - in the marching band? With 76 trombones, 110 cornets and over 1,000 clarinets seems like you must have terrific lungs!)

Edited September 21, 2020 by RWB

[ProfHaroldHill]

1 minute ago, RWB said:

The bronze cent blanks were supplied by Scovill in Waterbury, CT. I have no details on their rolling and blanking operations.

Thank you, RWB, I didn't know they outsourced the blanks for the cents in that era. 

[RWB]

Cent and 3-cent and 5-cent copper-nickel blanks were supplied on contracts since about 1869.

Edited September 21, 2020 by RWB

[ProfHaroldHill]

4 hours ago, RWB said:

The bronze cent blanks were supplied by Scovill in Waterbury, CT. I have no details on their rolling and blanking operations.

(How did you cope with being the only bass - tuba - in the marching band? With 76 trombones, 110 cornets and over 1,000 clarinets seems like you must have terrific lungs!)

Actually, I'm a slip horn player. That bit about the one and only bass? Well that was just PR 

[RWB]

I guess when you're the star of the show, a little exaggeration is to be expected.

[ProfHaroldHill]

3 hours ago, RWB said:

I guess when you're the star of the show, a little exaggeration is to be expected.

Well you know what the man said when they asked him how far he was going.

"To wherever the people are as green as their money."   [Gary Conservatory, Gold Medal Class of '05!]

Say, RWB, speaking of powerful lungs, (or perhaps the distinct lack of,) ...how about that pathetic attempt by Matt Broderick to play The Professor? I mean, hey... I liked Broderick in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', he was great. Hilarious. But the kid just doesn't have the lungs to belt out the stuff like Robert Preston did, and it made a flop out of that 2003 remake.

(And weren't they actually Sousaphones, in that movie?)

Edited September 22, 2020 by ProfHaroldHill
The 1962 version, re the Sousaphones

[RWB]

Preston had help in the film, but I agree that Broderick sounded more like Bo Derek than a reformed tuba player.

After 1893 it was likely a Sousaphone of some sort; before, it would have been a helicon.

[ProfHaroldHill]

6 minutes ago, RWB said:

Preston had help in the film, but I agree that Broderick sounded more like Bo Derek than a reformed tuba player.

After 1893 it was likely a Sousaphone of some sort; before, it would have been a helicon.

Preston had help? Say it aint so!

That was one of my all-time favorite movies... Yer gettin' perilously close to burstin' one of the few 'bubbles' I've got left to cling to, man!

[RWB]

Normal boost and cleanup of sound - that was done throughout the film. Anyway, Don Walker's orchestrations were dubbed over the raw studio quartet that played during filming.

Edited September 22, 2020 by RWB