Owner Comments:
Lyman Allen #12.04b (KM #182) - Mintage: 28,596,000 (Variety Mintage unknown)
General
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The Denver mint produced nearly 10 times as many 20 Centavo coins in 1944 as the Manila Mint commonly had in it's most prolific years. As substantial as that mintage is, it's nothing compared to what was to come in 1945. The high mintage of coins in 1944 and 1945 was necessary since virtually all previously issued coinage had disappeared during the Japanese occupation. Because of the high demand, dies were used well beyond their normal life and pieces struck from highly eroded dies are very common.
High mintage figures often imply common coins, but also provide the opportunity for several collectable varieties! With 28,596,000 minted by the US Mint in Denver, it's not surprising that there are a number of die varieties. Lyman Allen lists two in addition to the normal date:
Varieties
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12.04 - Normal date (This coin)
12.04a - Repunched mint mark D/S. The underlying "S" is very difficult to make out and generally just appears as a spike on the inside, emanating from the curved portion of the "D."
12.04b - Repunched mint mark D/D. The doubling is much more noticeable that the D/S variety, but seems to be much rarer.
This Coin
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This particular coin is the 12.04b, D/D variety. It is one of five graded by NGC with only two graded higher. The strike is typical for this issue, and the banner is incomplete. Very little die erosion is noticeable around the peripheral lettering on the reverse of this coin, so it must have been struck from relatively fresh dies.
Date acquired: 1/22/2013 (already graded by NGC)
Rev. 12/1/2015