U.S. 25¢ Stainless Steel Feeder Finger
From The Denver Mint Grabener Press
Authenticated and Encapsulated by NGC
Not Struck by Coin Dies
$3,000
This is one of three known full-size feeder fingers for any U.S. denomination that has not been struck by coin dies. There are U.S. feeder fingers known that were struck by a private mint producing tokens and metals, that used the feeder fingers as the blank planchets. In addition, there are at least five known full-size feeder fingers that were struck on the tip by U.S. coin dies. One of these was struck by Maryland Quarter dies and was certified by NGC. It was offered by another major mint error dealer for $25,000 and it eventually sold.
As amazing as it seems, the Grabener coin press was sold as surplus at a government auction in 2001. It was stored in a warehouse near Denver from 2001 to 2006. In 2007, the private Moonlight Mint purchased the Grabener press and restored it in 2008.
The Grabener coin press was manufactured in Germany in 1986. It went into service at the U.S. Denver Mint from 1986 to 2001, striking mint sets, commemorate coins and medals. When the Mint stopped producing commemorate coins in the late 1990's, the press became surplus and was legally sold by the government as scrap.
When Dan Carr of Moonlight Mint was performing the restoration, many artifacts, coins and items were discovered in the oil pan, near the electric motor, under the conveyor belt and under the mounting plate. He discovered blank planchets, normally struck coins and medals and feeder fingers. Inside the crate that housed the Grabener press were spare parts and several hundred feeder fingers. In addition, there were cancelled dies and a 25¢ collar.
Various U.S. mint errors were also among the discovered items, including a 1989-D Congress Commemorative with rotated dies and a 38mm Mint Medal struck off-center. A few feeder fingers that were struck by U.S. coin dies and show a small amount of detail on the tip of the feeder finger were also discovered.
To commemorate Moonlight Mint's 10th anniversary of operation, Dan Carr struck his commemorative medals on the entire group of feeder fingers that were in the crate except for this one, being offered here. It is a stainless steel full-size feeder finger used in the production of striking U.S. quarters at the Denver Mint on this Grabener press.
To date, this is one of only three known full-size feeder fingers used in the production of striking U.S. coins from any U.S. Mint on any denomination, that has been preserved in its original state, and not used to strike medals or tokens, using the feeder fingers as blank planchets. Had it not been for this Grabener press housed in a crate along with coins, tokens, medals, blanks, collars, dies and feeder fingers, that was auctioned by the government as surplus scrap, this full-size feeder finger in its original state would not exist or be in private hands legally.
Dan Carr from Moonlight Mint has documented the entire story of purchasing the crate that contained the Grabener coin press, along with the coins, medals, tokens, feeder fingers and other items. His commemorative medal for Moonlight Mint's 10th anniversary of operation that was struck on the actual feeder fingers discovered in the crate is available from the Moonlight Mint website, moonlightmint.com.
Since Moonlight Mint used every feeder finger from the group discovered in the crate to strike his 10th year anniversary medals, this stainless steel quarter-size feeder finger was the only one that was not used to strike his medals.
After negotiating with Dan Carr, I purchased this feeder finger and showed it to Fred Weinberg. Fred is the authenticator for PCGS for error coins. Fred was familiar with the crate and press being sold as surplus and authenticated and verified that this stainless steel feeder finger was a genuine U.S. Mint product and was from the surplus crate that Dan Carr / Moonlight Mint had purchased.
It is now being offered for sale and is one of only three known full-size blank feeder fingers in its original state from the U.S. Denver Mint which used the Grabener press to strike coins.
Featured on the cover of Mint Error News Magazine Issue 51:
In 2000, I was the first dealer to discover a new type of U.S. Major Mint Error, Coins Struck on Feeder Finger Tips. In my NLG award-winning book, World's Greatest Mint Errors, I devoted a chapter to this new type of error.
Above are all the feeder fingers that I discovered.
Moonlight Mint's Grabener Coin Press:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Denver Mint Grabener Press identification plates:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
The oil pan containing several normally-struck coins and medals:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
The oil pan on the left side contained a few blank planchets:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
The oil pan on the right side also contained several blank planchets:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here are oily coin blanks, struck coins, medals, and other debris removed from the press:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here is another picture of some struck coins and struck medals:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here is the turntable (indexer) with stainless-steel feeding fingers for quarters:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here is a large wooden crate with spare parts and other items:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
A couple hundred feeding fingers were in the crate:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here are two stainless steel feeding finger for silver dollars,
which were struck by the dies on the tips:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
This silver dollar die was canceled by the US Mint:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here is the lid for a secure shipping crate for dies and hubs
to be sent from the Philadelphia Mint to the Denver Mint:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
Here is a picture of the blank planchets, struck coins and medals, after oil removal and clean-up:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
The Moonlight Mint 10th Anniversary Medal can be ordered
from the Moonlight Mint website, moonlightmint.com:
Photo courtesy of Moonlight Mint
