VOCABULARY TERM: NONSENSE DIE

Nonsense Die. A die, with design purposely of no particular meaning, used to test production equipment where the use of any other die would not be feasible. Nonsense dies used at the Philadelphia Mint bear a girl’s portrait and lettering from the center of the alphabet. They are employed, for example, during set-up of a new press run, eliminating the possibility of ruining production run dies, or of creating mint errors of regular coins. Nonsense dies are occasionally used to make test coins. A similar instance is the Martha Washington Test Coin created at the Philadelphia in 1965 by mint engraver Edward R. Grove. It was used in similar cases.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
U.S. MINT 2012 ALTERNATIVE METALS STUDY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n53a12.html)
MARTHA WASHINGTON PATTERNS OFFERED (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n20a23.html)

Looking for the meaning of a numismatic word, or the description of a term?  Try the Newman Numismatic Portal's Numismatic Dictionary at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionary

Or if you would like a printed copy of the complete Encyclopedia, it is available. There are 1,854 terms, on 678 pages, in The Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology. Even running two a week would require more than 19 years to publish them all. If you would like an advance draft of this vital reference work it may be obtained from the author for your check of $50 sent postpaid. Dick Johnson, 139 Thompson Drive, Torrington, CT 06790.

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