FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These are not just frequently asked but also things we think you might want to know.
Q1. How can I identify which 1859 cent I have? Answer: We would recommend starting by looking at the reverse side of the coin and determining which die group it matches, then looking at the obverse side and trying to match it to the attributes found on other cents with the same reverse. Try this link Reverse IDs.
Q2. Do I need lots of coins to start identifying which catalog number I may have? No! Just one coin can be quite fun. First of all correctly identifying it is rewarding, and once you know what it is you may even find out that it is rare. Since this study is rather new, the possibility of discovering a rare coin or new variety is very realistic.
Q3. Do I really need to consider die states? The short answer is yes. The reason is two or more coins made with the same dies may look different due to the die state involved. For example a particular cent may have no die cracks at all in state 1, yet have dozens of die cracks by die state 5. At first glance they may appear to be two different coins from two different dies, when in reality they came from the same die and even share the same catalog number. You do not need to collect every die state but it is nearly impossible to identify coins without considering die states.
Q4. This site seems great but unfinished, is there more to come? Again the short answer is yes! We are working as quickly as possible to add more information, see home page for latest areas that have been updated. We wanted to get as much information to you as quickly as possible. Enjoy!
Q1. How can I identify which 1859 cent I have? Answer: We would recommend starting by looking at the reverse side of the coin and determining which die group it matches, then looking at the obverse side and trying to match it to the attributes found on other cents with the same reverse. Try this link Reverse IDs.
Q2. Do I need lots of coins to start identifying which catalog number I may have? No! Just one coin can be quite fun. First of all correctly identifying it is rewarding, and once you know what it is you may even find out that it is rare. Since this study is rather new, the possibility of discovering a rare coin or new variety is very realistic.
Q3. Do I really need to consider die states? The short answer is yes. The reason is two or more coins made with the same dies may look different due to the die state involved. For example a particular cent may have no die cracks at all in state 1, yet have dozens of die cracks by die state 5. At first glance they may appear to be two different coins from two different dies, when in reality they came from the same die and even share the same catalog number. You do not need to collect every die state but it is nearly impossible to identify coins without considering die states.
Q4. This site seems great but unfinished, is there more to come? Again the short answer is yes! We are working as quickly as possible to add more information, see home page for latest areas that have been updated. We wanted to get as much information to you as quickly as possible. Enjoy!
