2008-D dime that LOOKs like an RPM

[kurtrr]

This 2008-D dime has a mint mark that looks like a RPM. I know It can't be an RPM so what is it? I Thought it could be a dropped letter but that would be incluse. I don't think it's die deterioration. I guess it could be machine doubling but it doesn't seem shelf-like to me.
I don't have a microscope. The pictures are the best I think I can do with my phone.2008-D-RPM.jpg

[MintErrors]

In the mid 1990's the US Mints started changing over to a single squeeze technique for making dies. Ken Potter can explain better. But, my point is, during this time, the mint marks were no longer punched in by hand. They were actually added as part of the design. So, if a mint mark is doubled in appearance, its a starting point for a doubled die.

I cannot tell from the photo above what is going on with the coin. there is too much light on the coin.

You can;
subdue the light by placing cloth over it;
take the coin outside, and snap a photo of it in a non sunny area
if the camera has a MACRO feature (usually shown by a flower) then enable that.

Also there isn't a real big need to get extremely close to the coin to get a photo. Most editing software will allow us to enlarge as needed. Snap a photo of the coin at a distance where the coin is in a good focus.

You can use indoor lighting and subdue the light. You can rotate the coin around until you capture the right angle.

I suggest looking over the CONECA master listing and seeing if the 2008 dimes has any significant errors or varieties.

It's a short fused answer, but right now, I cannot make out what's up with the coin when the lighting is overpowering.

[kurtrr]

A better pic

I've taken this outside on a cloudy day. It's still pretty fuzzy.

[MintErrors]

Yes, It is getting better. But even with this improvement, I cannot make out what is going on with this coin.
I took the latest image and copied it to my machine and lowered the lighting to almost nil. The "8" does look strange, but I am not sure whats going on there

Here are some thoughts;
If the dime is circulated, it could be post-mint damage
It could be the starting of a clogged die, where shards are starting to clog within the date and caused issues to the coin.
Does the reverse of the coin look ok? I mean if you take note of where the date is on the front, and flip the coin over, the area where the date would be on the other side..... is that ok ? Nothing unusual ?

I don't know if the coin suffered damage from a coin counter, there might be some tell tale signs of damage in other areas, especially around LIBERTY. Sometimes there will be a light halo style ring around the coin, or the coin will show damage pretty much equal distance from the rim in different places on the coin.

We can wait to see if Ken Potter, Jamez or others can chime in.

I looked into the master listing, and I did not see any listings for the 2008 dimes.

[Jamez]

The first pic I thought had some possibilities. Not really looking at the MM but the date, the last 0 and the 8.. The second picture makes me believe Machine Doubling. Gary is correct on the MM being part of the process and no longer done by hand. Need a clear shot of the date/mm area that I can blow up larger to make a real determination. This pic was shot with a point a click camera using the macro setting.

1956D.jpg

[kurtrr]

even better pic

I've been working with different techniques. Still the pic is not good enough. The field is pixelated in the image. The coin is not marred there.
You can see the edges of the D here better. When looking at the coin magnified I don't see any doubling (machine or otherwise) on the date. The 08 (especially the 8) are mushed down a bit near the rim like they are on many dimes. Almost the entire lower loop of the 8 and hardly any on the 0 are affected by this.
Part of my picture taking problem seem to that the dime is so shiny it makes a glare. In this picture I propped the camera and put a white plastic bag between the window and the coin. The window was facing away from the Sun. I used a timer to reduce shake and used selective focus which is what Samsung uses for focus within 1.5 feet.

[MintErrors]

Cool ! its getting better. I am taking a stab at this, but it sounds like this is a phone. I do not know if that phone has a closeup or macro feature which should sharpen close up images.

I can see an issue with the top horn of the "D" but I don't see enough to call it a D/D. I think it may have a small die chip or a dent there, possibly even machine doubling.

I have issues shooting coins with the Rebel T3i - I get what I believe is the right amount of light in the auto mode and the thing just wants to adjust it on the fly. I like the small sony cybershot DSC-H10 8.1 MP I bought many years ago for close ups, its simply amazingly simple and auto-focuses every shot. A photo of a nickel I have on this forum is here. This photo was handheld, under 6 inches from the coin.
http://www.minterrors.org/wp-content...0/DSC07307.jpg

Lighting is bar FAR the hardest for me to master as well. Each coin is different and lights can be adjusted accordingly. My last resort is to build a makeshift lightbox - a cube of sheer material on all 4 sides and use lights on 2 sides of the box to produce just enough light to shoot photos of coins. Once I perfect the lighting I will be one happy camper. Ken Potter deals more in the oddball potential issue coins than I do. I think he will probably agree that its not an RPM, but lets wait and hear it from him before drawing conclusions.

Good job sticking with the coin and trying the suggestions with the lighting. It can make an attributors job a lot easier. I hope the camera you use has that close up / macro feature, because it can make all the difference in the world.