Owner Comments:
Lyman Allen #15.02 (KM #183) - Mintage: 18,120,000
This coin proves that the grade is all about the state of preservation. The closer a coin is to the state it was in when it first fell out of the die, determines the grade. This coin is exceptionally well preserved and well deserves the MS67 grade. The fields are pristine and almost completely free of any marks, and the marks on the devices are barely noticeable. The dies however clearly show excessive wear, and the strike is far from perfect.
The dies used to strike it were beginning to wear out and the design on the reverse is not fully struck up. The lettering on the banner under the shield is incomplete at the center and the sea lion is just slightly better than an outline. The peripheral lettering and the date however are quite sharp. The obverse is a bit more interesting. It too is softly struck, but the lines are surprisingly crisp. There are many die break varieties for these coins, and if you look closely at the picture, you'll see that this one exhibits a die break above the second "I" in "FILIPINAS." Die breaks have been seen above virtually all of the first seven letters, and in the upper and lower loops of the final "S."
These pictures do not show it very well, but this coin has exceptional eye appeal and is visually stunning.
Varieties
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15.02 - Normal date
15.02a - Repunched mint mark S/S Even within this variety, several sub-types exist with various orientations of the initial and secondary mint mark punches.
Dies used to strike these coins were run well past their normal service lives and a vast array of die break varieties exist. Most commonly seen are the breaks above the letters in FILIPINAS on the obverse, but there are also several reverse varieties. There is often a break just above the 9 in the date, and multiple variations exist. Not only are individual die brakes common, coins containing various combinations of these die breaks also exist.
Date acquired: 4/10/2014 (already graded by NGC)
Rev. 11/26/2015