car won't start until I release the key from the cranking position.

Hi you should not bring up old threads, rather, start your own "new" one. Key in "run" engine stopped, the battery is nominal 12V depending on load. Current goes through the coil and that draws down the voltage through the resistor. In this case maybe 6-10V or so, it will vary

Running, depends on system voltage. If the alternator is turning fast enough to bring the system up to nominal 14V at the battery, now you will see perhaps 8 or 10 -to- 12V at the coil

Cranking depends on what the battery is sucked down to when cranking. "In theory", coil + should see whatever the battery is during cranking. If the battery is pulled down to 11.5V then very close to that should appear at the coil

ALL these cars, unless the wiring has had some serious work, and that includes the ignition switch CONTACTS themselves---all of them suffer voltage drop of various amounts

Ok thanks for the info, both wires going to my coil were black so it's easy to see how someone could reverse thing. I'm sure many people have been under this hood before me. Thanks.