Double Bar 50c

[enworb]

Its worth having an example in your collection as a different variety but they dont tend to add that much value.

Also, nice strong example trout.

[JeffH]

1979 and 1980 are not too hard to find in circulation. Most 1966 have a very faint trace of the double bars.
Can be found in some other years but rather uncommon. Does anyone have a definitive list of the years?

[Mister T]

I think there was a reasonable but possibly incomplete list on CCF but I think the upshot of the discussion was that there are faint vestiges on many years but only strong, visible examples on 1966, 1979 and 1980 coins.

[trout]

I think there was a reasonable but possibly incomplete list on CCF but I think the upshot of the discussion was that there are faint vestiges on many years but only strong, visible examples on 1966, 1979 and 1980 coins.

the 2015 "C" mintmark Proof coin has undoubtedly the strongest Double Bar of them all, Even the 1979-80 Proof coins are nowhere near as distinct :ok:

[Fulvio]

Even the 1979-80 Proof coins are nowhere near as distinct :ok:

I wouldn't agree. The 79/80's I found last night were extremely sharp and distinct. Anyway, Proofs aren't 'real' coins.. everybody knows that! :angel:

[trout]

Even the 1979-80 Proof coins are nowhere near as distinct :ok:

I wouldn't agree. The 79/80's I found last night were extremely sharp and distinct. Anyway, Proofs aren't 'real' coins.. everybody knows that! :angel:

I would send you a 2015 coin So that you can see for yourself, But as it isn't a "Real" coin it might just vanish before your very eyes like Magic :laugh2:

[Fulvio]

as it isn't a "Real" coin it might just vanish before your very eyes like Magic :laugh2:

Indeed it might. I've heard stories about those magic Trout Mint disappearing coins. :dodgy:

[trout]

as it isn't a "Real" coin it might just vanish before your very eyes like Magic :laugh2:

Indeed it might. I've heard stories about those magic Trout Mint disappearing coins. :dodgy:

HeHe.

My point is that all the other years with double Bars are errors and as such are NOT perfectly defined whereas the "C" Mintmark coin was actually a subtlety different design COA and the double bars are a part of that new design and are NOT an error :ok:

[Fulvio]

My point is that all the other years with double Bars are errors and as such are NOT perfectly defined whereas the "C" Mintmark coin was actually a subtlety different design COA and the double bars are a part of that new design and are NOT an error :ok:

Umm.... NO!

They're varieties, not errors. The dies are different. The definition is a function of die wear, fills, attempts to remove the bars, but they are NOT errors.

[trout]

Umm.... NO!

They're varieties, not errors. The dies are different. The definition is a function of die wear, fills, attempts to remove the bars, but they are NOT errors.

Variety/error whatever they were not a deliberate design feature on the 66,79 and 80 coins, So lets just call them a "Mistake" for the purpose of this particular discussion :ok:
The double bars on the 2015 coin ARE a deliberate part of the design and are neither an error nor a variety.
They are also well defined and perfectly formed and not just the thin almost scratch like marks that make up the previous years double bar coins.

1979 db


2015 db

[enworb]

I recall hearing that they were intended on original 66 design but they caused a die weakness so they largely did away with them. Am i off my nut or have others heard something similar?

[Fulvio]

they were not a deliberate design feature

They most certainly were!

Its actually the leaf continuing behind the emu's head. As Enworb says, the die was deliberately changed, possibly due to a weakness.

Now, how/why the old dies were used in 79/80 is debateable. I would put it that after the design was changed, there were still a number of dies with the original design. The faint vestigial bars suggest that attempts were made to fill in the bars to use these dies up, with mixed success.

At any rate, in 1979 original dies were mistakenly used, and again in 1980. This could have occurred if it was the tail end of the 79 and beginning of the 80 production. I would also suggest that the mistake was not with the wrong production dies being used, but earlier in the process, and that a large number of the wrong dies were made and subsequently used up. I base that opinion on the large quantity of these which were circulating.

The proof coin is another kettle of fish entirely. That one would certainly have been a deliberate decision, based on the leaf being there in the original design.

Regardless, all four are varieties, not errors. The partial bars on other years would, however, qualify as errors. If anybody really cared and/or could reliably spot them, that is. :angel:

[trout]

You are missing the point of what I am trying to say and that is the 2015 coin has the best defined double bars of ALL the other coins.
How the other double bars came about is interesting But all I wanted to convey in the first place is that the 2015 double bars are more defined :ok:

[Fulvio]

You are missing the point of what I am trying to say and that is the 2015 coin has the best defined double bars of ALL the other coins.
How the other double bars came about is interesting But all I wanted to convey in the first place is that the 2015 double bars are more defined :ok:

Fair enough. But then, its a different design, innit? They clearly went out of their way to make it look better, and in that regard succeeded, I'll grant you that. Even if I don't particularly like the way they rendered the leaves, but that's another story...

[trout]

Fair enough. But then, its a different design, innit? They clearly went out of their way to make it look better, and in that regard succeeded, I'll grant you that. Even if I don't particularly like the way they rendered the leaves, but that's another story...  

I think that RAM did a rather good job with this even though it was issued "Unannounced" with the 50.50 set.
The peculiar thing is that the image of this particular design has been used in advertisements for other ram products that actually Don't have the double bars on the 50 cent coin :angel: