On bars, trails and wavy steps

[wavysteps2003]

I have a habit of re-reading books and in doing so, I have ran across information that I had missed before. Such was the case when I again read the CPG, 4th Ed.

On page 337, the CPG stated that the Denver mint single squeeze process was automated and that the Philadelphia mint automation was pending on the same procedure. That was in June of 1998.

Could the dramatic increase of extra columns, beginning in the year 2000, be from the use of this automated system? Also, there have been no strong "wavy step" dies since the year 1999; could this be a function of the automated system?

First, let us look at something. Even though there seems to be an awful lot of extra columns, just how many, in precentage wise, are we looking at. Less than 1%, less than .5% or how about .1% of the dies made. So that means that for every 1000 dies that are made, one may possibly have a DDR or extra column.

Next, if this is an automated system, there must be some type of sensor in place that will detect if the placement of the hub to the blank die is correct. If it is not correct, will the process be halted and then corrected?

This is what we may be seeing. An automated system that does just that. When a hub to blank die placement is not correct, the process is stopped until a technician corrects the error, which may envolve moving the blank die and repositioning it. If the hub has already "touched" the die once, any repositioning could result in an extra or extra columns. In this type scenario even offset oblique angles of extra columns are possible.

This is just a thought, however, more than a few things do add up.

WAVYSTEPS2003 aka BJ Neff

[Dick]

Very interesting, BJ, and I see I am not the only one who re[reads the books. I believe one should read the books that are important to what one is interested in, at least three times. Even then you will miss a few details, here, and there.
Having just re-read your post, I draw your attention to the last portion of the last PPG. The refereence to the possibility of one, or more (oblique bars are possible), would indicate, that not only a sensor is involved, it will stop the "press" if it is still a bit out of alignment! THe multiple oblique bars are there, we have seen them.
Now, I would like to let you, (and any others who read this), know that the "anamoly known as the "edge ridge" et al, is caused by the upset mill. This conclusion is due to the composition of the "blank", then "planchet", after passing thru the upset mill, which has caused a certain amount of crushing of the zinc, inside the copper plating(s), resulting in a small bulge in different areas, always very close to the rim, and not always in the same place, nor on one or both faces of the "coin". What say you, my learned friend? Feasable?
Dick