Still waiting for the BIG discovery...

[coppercoins]

For a number of months now there has been discussion relating to doubled dies on the single squeeze, later date cents. I don't know if you have noticed the same thing I have, but ALL of the known examples of such doubled dies (wavy steps and slight notching on the obverse) are Philadelphia minted cents.

As I see it, there are two possible explanations for this...

1. Just about all of the know examples of such doubling were discovered by researcher Billy Crawford, who lives in South Carolina, well within the Philadelphia district. I am sure he rarely sees Denver minted cents so far East, and if he did, he might have found some if they exist. He is about the only person I know who will go through thousands of cents that aren't supposed to have doubling looking for what isn't supposed to be possible. Nobody I know in the Denver district has had the time, skill, or knowledge to do the work necessary to find the needle in the haystack of needles.

2. It is possible that the hubbing press in Denver is different and is incapable of causing such doubling. I don't know whether the press or the usage of the press differs place to place. If they are the exact same thing, I would say chances are really good that Denver minted doubled dies from 1997 to present do exist. If the presses are different in Denver, there's probably a pretty good chance there aren't any such doubled dies.

So...which one is it? Are they truly impossible or have they just not been found? I guess only time can tell - along with a lot of diligence compared to that of Mr. Crawford.

[smed]

Could just be the folks in Denver are a bit more conscientious.

Didn't we go thru a phase where the Denver state quarters were almost guaranteed to look better than the Philly?

[Robert]

Chuck, maybe you could use the "Freedom of Information Act" to determine whether the P and D coinage presses are the same?

http://www.usmint.gov/foia/