Not All Caps (Die Caps) are Cup-shaped

by Bill Snyder




In the short article "Caps, the Crème de la Crème", I defined a Die Cap as a previously struck coin which begins to act as a Die when new blank planchets enter the Coining Chamber. I said that this Cap sometimes becomes stuck to the upper Coining Die and that, in time, it often takes on the cupped shape of a bottle cap.

Once in a while, a struck coin becomes an Cap when it simply gets into the Coin Chamber with a new blank planchet. It need not have become stuck to the upper Coin Die. It need not take on a 'cupped' shape.

This was brought home to me forcefully when I got a good look at these 2 large silver pieces. (Note: These pieces were struck at a Private Mint. The design of the coining machinery may well be different from that used at many official, major U.S. and World mints).




One is near flat, with a strong obverse image on one side and a weak reverse image on the other. It is very wide and it has a milled edge.

"Flat" Cap

Milled edge of "Flat" piece

'Flat' Piece and part of its Milled Edge






The other is strongly cupped, with a strong reverse image on one side and an incuse 'reversed' image of the reverse on the other side.


"Cupped" Brockage

'Cupped'




Which is the Die Cap? The flat piece or the cupped one?


All that is known (from a man who was present at the time these pieces were produced) is that, with both were in the Coining Chamber at the same time, the Collar shattered.



Here is what must have happened.


  1. The 'flat' piece was struck first. It got a normal obverse image, a normal reverse image, and a milled edge.

  2. For some unknown reason, this piece remained in (or somehow got into) the Coining Chamber when a new silver blank was introduced.

  3. The Dies came together again but there was not enough space between them for all the silver in two pieces. The Collar, which is supposed to restrain the outward spread of the coin (and apply the milling), shattered.

  4. Unrestrained, the original piece (the one that ended up near 'flat') spread from a normal 39mm to a whopping 51mm diameter.

  5. The new blank, caught between a single Die and the previously struck 'flat' piece became a Brockage. It could not 'spread' because the flat piece was occupying all lateral space. It moved alongside the Die that was pushing against it. It was pushed into a cupped shape.


So, in this unusual instance, the 'flat' (wide) piece is the Die Cap and the 'cupped' piece is a Brockage.




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