Missing designer initials

[eagames]

These are well known.

Here's the 1982-p Kennedy that's missing the designers FG initials. They call these a variety but I'd assume it was polished off so maybe it's more of a die state but there's no sign of FG on it. These coins are similar to the 1922 plain cent or 3 legged buffalo but get less attention. (over polished dies)



Here's it's little brother, an 83-p cent that's also called a missing FG variety but on these you can see some of the FG. It looks like they polished these cent dies with 60 grit paper!

[JRocco]

Hi Ed,
Interesting stuff. As I have learned from some of the mega advanced bust half collectors, many not only collect varieties, but they collect die states of the varieties. I assume that as one progresses in the hobby of variety collecting it is just a natural transition to be curious about the die progression.

With the super number of modern coins produced it is harder to follow a die progression as say compared to some bust coinage where there are 15-20 pieces known in a certain die state and you can see the die deterioration or the die modification (re-polished or re-engraved dies for example), but it is still interesting to follow nevertheless.

I have found that as I get more interested in numismatics, I am more interested in what actually happened to the die that created these coin varieties. Was the die damaged from a strong clash and then re-lapped? Was the die found to have a blunder and re-polished to cover the evidence or re-engraved to clean up some over-lapping?

Interesting stuff and most lead to very collectable coins.

[Dick]

Ed, I'm going to have to start looking for the missing initials. I couldn't get a box of haalf dollars, but did masnage to get about 10, or 12. Nice photos.
Dick

[eagames]

Dick,

Look and you might find one, the no FG Kennedy half dollars aren't that scarce. I think they exist on 82 and 83 and maybe others.