RECENT STUDY ON WAVYSTEPS AND / OR TAILS

[wavysteps2003]

For the last few months, I have been searching for the answers to what wavy steps were, how they are created and if they have any connection to another anomaly commonly refered to as "tails". What I have found may be a little surprising to you.

The first little awakening came from Ken Potter when we were discussing how wavysteps might be made. It seems that the Mints, both Philadelphia and Denver, began experimenting with the single squueze method of hubbing in 1987; the same year that wavy steps, from both mints, began to appear. Is this a coincidence or is there a direct relationship to the single squeeze method and wavy steps? It wasn't until 1993 that both Mints started to produce large quantities of wavy steps. Could the mints have been using the experimental single squeeze dies starting in 1987 and made the final switch to all single squeeze hubbing processes for all denominations in 1997?

During the search and with the help of some from the coppercoins' community, I found 10 dies, from 1993 up to 2000, that had both wavy steps and tails on the same die and in the SAME EXACT DIRECTION. This is the strongest proof yet that wavy steps and tails are one in the same thing and that the only difference is the direction in which they point.

Another little surprise was that certain dies from different years had identical tails, from the same design elements, with the only difference being intensity of the tails. This was most evident in two dies with tails and wavy steps pointing in the southeast direction; one was from 1998 and the other was from 2000.

Both the obverse and reverse dies can be effected by this anomaly and in fact some 2006 Lincoln cents have shown tails on the obverse.

What does this all mean. First, if you run across any denomination coin with tails, put it aside, it may become a doubled die. Second, let me know about it; even though my major research is over, I am always interested in new data. Third, keep on searching for coins with tails.

You all have a good one

BJ Neff aka WAVYSTEPS2003