US Dimes

[brandm24]

That's a really nice 1964, Greg. I always thought the silver dimes had a much better look to them than the clad stuff. Nicer surfaces, sharper image, and a generally higher quality appearance. I never really got used to the clad coinage.

Bruce

[Figleaf]

I'd earlier come across an interesting story about the mint's attempt to increase production in response to the extreme shortages. They partnered with General Motors in the development of what was known as a roller press. The new equipment could supposedly produce an astounding 10,000 cent coins per minute. The experiment with the new technology never came to fruition though as too many technical issues were encountered. I think they focused only on increasing cent production because the cent shortage was the most severe.

Disappointing news. The roller press had already been invented. It is great technology, but it requires perfect synchronisation of the strip of metal, the rollers serving as dies and the knife, cutting the coin from the strip. For more info, have a look here. The best known rolled coins came from the Segovia mint in the 16th and 17th century, though other countries also dabbled in this technology. However, I was shocked to discover that rolling was known to and used by the Karakhanids in the 12th century.

I presume the Mint and GE were interested in a version running on fossil fuels and ran into the same problems as the Segovia mint 300 years earlier, mitigated by technological advances, but compounded by the high speed required.

Peter

[brandm24]

I just found out an interesting fact about the design process of the Roosevelt Dime. John R. Sinnock is credited with the design ...and rightly so...but actually died before he had a chance to complete the reverse. The new chief engraver, Gilroy Roberts, finished it.

Here's a pic of Sinnock hard at work.

Bruce