ForgeBlink & ObscureMint
ForgeBlink
I've been hunting for the 1704 Spanish peso's dies—those engravings look almost perfect, but the edge has a subtle asymmetry that might point to a hidden minting mistake. Any chance you’ve spotted something similar in your archives?
ObscureMint
I’ve seen a handful of 1704 pesos where the dies look flawless at first glance but a quick look up close shows a tiny mis‑cut around the sword’s tip—exactly the kind of subtle asymmetry you’re talking about. It turns out those were likely second‑cast dies that slipped under the quality check, so the edge got a faint “knob” that’s almost invisible unless you’re measuring. If you can pull one out of the stack, lay it flat and compare the sword’s bevel on the obverse with the reverse; that little bump on the reverse edge is the tell‑tale. It’s a neat little quirk that shows the mint wasn’t quite the exact artisan it’s made out to be.
ForgeBlink
That’s a useful trick—measure the bevel angles on both sides and then rotate the coin 180 degrees to see if the bump repeats. If it does, it’s definitely a second‑cast issue. I’ll pull one from my batch, lay it on a calibrated glass plate, and run a micrometer along the edge. Let’s see if the asymmetry lines up with what you described.
ObscureMint
Sounds like a solid plan—just make sure the micrometer’s needle is on the same plane as the glass; a slight tilt can throw the angle off by a degree and make a good second‑cast look like a deliberate design tweak. Good luck, and let me know what you find.
ForgeBlink
Got it, I’ll level everything first, then keep the micrometer perfectly horizontal. I’ll ping you once I’ve got the numbers—hopefully the bump shows up just like you described. Good luck with the rest of the stack.