Clear explaination for thin or tapered coins

[RogerB]

Office of U. S. Assistant Treasurer
New York

July 1, 1873

Hon James Pollock,
Superintendent of the Mint

Sir:
The enclosed half dollar piece was found in a bag of silver coins of the same denomination received from the Mint. You will notice that it is not of the usual thickness, and this depreciation in weight below the standard is over 20 percent. I am unable to explain as similar pieces have never been noticed before, and take the liberty of returning it for examination, with the request that a similar piece of full weight be returned for it.
Very Respectfully,
M. S. Hillhouse, Asst Tr. U.S.

* * * * *
Mint of the United States
Coiner’s Department
Philadelphia

July 2, 1873

Hon. James Pollock
Superintendent, U.S. Mint

Sir:
The light half dollar returned from the Asst. Treasurer’s Office, new York, is the result of an accident which annoys me very much.
I account for it by the supposition that the cutter, by neglect, cut toward the point of the strip (rendered thin by the pointing roll for the drawbench) instead of cutting from the point. As a result he cut a planchet from an unadjusted portion of the fillet, and as we are not adjusting silver by hand, it was not discovered in any subsequent operation.
It is only another evidence that worth the greatest care accidents will happen.
Regretting the occurrence very much,
I remain Very Truly yours,
/s/ A. Loudoun Snowden, Coiner

[alefzero]

Nice find!

[vamnuke]

Good read; I see the letter was from 1873; guess the OE was overlooked in 1879, hence the example I have

[colwillys]

RogerB This is one of the BEST reasons to be a member of VamWorld and SSDC .
Keep UP the good Work RogerB .

[Mike7E]

Thanks for the 'official' reason. Nice find!

[RogerB]

It's nice to locate original documents that confirm long-held ideas -- as well as the ones that blow holes in them.

PS: See From Mine to Mint for explanation of how a drawbench worked and why Snowden's explanation covers both thin and tapered coins.

[vampicker]

Thanks Roger