Minnesota finds push toward 60

Reports on Minnesota doubled dies have nosedived.

Most packages I open containing submissions end up being duplications or different stages of what are already listed.

Nonetheless, I have three new doubled-die reverses along with an interesting die gouge ? if that is what it is. All the new listings are Philadelphia issues and all are business strikes.

Doubled-die reverses

DDR#55: Bob Piazza reported this week?s first new submission for the reverse doubled dies, which shows as horn-like protrusion jutting out from the west side of the rock located to the right of the third full evergreen tree to the right of the state outline. The origin of this doubling is pointed out by a red arrow. Traces of other high points from the rock are also evident ?floating? out in the field above their points of origin.

The stage of the variety shown here is characterized by a long die crack along with some connecting die chips running through the base of Washington?s bust, through the designer/engraver?s initials and a series of die cracks and chips in Washington?s queue. The reverse of this stage displays a number of die scratches with some of the more prominent shown running above and through the ?5? of date.

DDR#56: Submitted by James Wiles, this one shows as a teardrop-shaped area of doubling atop a rock on the left side of the primary tree. Image courtesy of James Wiles.

DDR#57: Wiles also submitted our final doubled-die reverse for this installment, which shows some doubling of the primary tree tucked in close to its right side. This one is similar to several others suggesting that careful study is needed to differentiate some of these varieties from one another. Markers are an important tool to those evaluations but they must be used with caution as they too may be easily confused as other similar markers diagnostic of other varieties.

Markers on this stage of the variety include die breaks in the lower loop of the first ?8? of 1858 for the reverse and a series of connected die chips and breaks running through the designer/engraver?s initials and a long arc-shaped die crack below on the obverse. Die cracks, chips and even the arc-shaped cracks below the initials are very common on the states quarter series, so make sure the markers are correct and not just similar. Image courtesy of James Wiles.

Die gouge or doubled die?

Several collectors have reported a 2005-P Minnesota business strike quarter with what looks like the forward end of a fishing rod stuck between the upper limbs of the second and third trees from the right side if the coin.

Frequent contributor David Serbonich was the first to report it, suggesting that it looked like something indented into the die. Others felt it might be an extra portion of the fishing rod from one of the fisherman in the boat below to the southwest.

Frankly, due to the distance involved between the variation and the actual rods, I feel it is most probably a die dent or gouge, but I will not yet rule out hub doubling. For now I am simply making note of it since it is interesting no matter what it is.

All the doubled die varieties described here are believed to be due to Tilted Hub Doubling. (See previous installments of this series for more information on this type of doubling.)

I suggest to readers that there could be more doubled-die varieties for the Minnesota state quarter just waiting to be found. They may also exist on other states quarter designs. I ask that any new varieties be reported to me for a follow-up article. Listings covered in earlier installments of this series can be found online at www.koinpro.com.

Ken Potter is the official attributer of world doubled dies for the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America and for the National Collectors Association of Die Doubling. He also privately lists other collectible variety types on both U.S. and world coins in the Variety Coin Register.

More information on the clubs or how to get a coin listed in the Variety Coin Register may be obtained by sending a long, self-addressed envelope with 63 cents postage to P.O. Box 760232, Lathrup Village, MI 48076, or by contacting him via e-mail at KPotter256@aol.com.

An educational image gallery may be viewed on his Web site at www.koinpro.com.