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I guess there are a few ways to look at the few survivors line of evidence. If only a few were made even from two dies (let alone 3!), it might only be that a couple from one survived as the rest were paid out into circulation where they would naturally have been generally unloved for quite some while. I have found in other areas (okay medicine and biology), that original source material is often propogated to the point that there really is only one point of view or line of evidence being presented, but being "retold" by successive authors. There are quite a few examples in the USA series where the "mother mint" in Philadelphia produced dies for the branch mints and resultant strikes/specimens are either unknown or only from a specimen or two and generally in more worn state unless preserved and passed on as assay specimens. In other words, what is done with dies is not always predictable. Also, if there were for some reason a second run, it is certainly possible that another die was selected for whatever reason (damage, or rust, or ? to the first or second dies)...

If he's convinced, take his money and run..... ;-)