1898 H Cent

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PolarBear58
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Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:21 pm
Location: Montreal

1898 H Cent

Post by PolarBear58 » Thu Apr 08, 2021 9:50 am

I have an 1898 H Cent which I think the H is unusually high, the left top bar of the H is under the leaf. Is this a special variety or just a die error, I wouldn't believe it to be a die error, since the characters on a die aren't mobile, so I figure there was a die that was made with the "H" higher than the other.

Thanks, for your answers.... :D

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Bill in Burl
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Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by Bill in Burl » Thu Apr 08, 2021 10:54 am

The H's on the '98 were handpunched into each die. Because of that, the H's are all over ... left, right, high, .low etc. None are any scarcer than any other.
Bill in Burl

PolarBear58
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Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:21 pm
Location: Montreal

Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by PolarBear58 » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:03 am

Thks!

PolarBear58
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:21 pm
Location: Montreal

Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by PolarBear58 » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:05 am

So if I understand from this one, and the fact that top left branch of the "H" is under the leaf, the "H" was punched prior to the full die punch?

Bill in Burl
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Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by Bill in Burl » Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:17 pm

No, all of the working dies were struck by the hub/matrix with NO mintmark. That area was just a blank part of the field. Then each partially finished working die was handpunched by by the minting crew with an "H". It could have been a different person handpunching the H's each day/week so they were never in the same place twice in a row.
Bill in Burl

rolyat
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Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by rolyat » Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:28 pm

they are hand punched into the die then the die strikes them all the same

Bill in Burl
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Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by Bill in Burl » Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:42 am

But you have more than one working die. Each die, with a hand-punched N, would have the H in a slightly different place. All of the coins that were struck from that single working die would be the same, but you have/had more than one working die. There were 1 million coins struck and , by that time, Reverse dies were lasting about 60-80,000 strikes, so you had maybe 15-20 working dies, all with the H in maybe slightly different places.
Bill in Burl

troubadour
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Re: 1898 H Cent

Post by troubadour » Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:57 pm

PolarBear58 wrote:
Thu Apr 08, 2021 9:50 am
Is this a special variety or just a die error, I wouldn't believe it to be a die error, since the characters on a die aren't mobile
Bill is right. a "variety", yes. but nothing special.

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