The Error Coin Thread
 

This thread is dedicated to the topic of mint error coins, to define the various types and show examples of each. Error coins are great collectibles, and many numismatists focus their entire collections on obtaining rare and interesting errors. Today I'll start with a brief definition of error coins as well as provide a few examples. As the thread expands I will add more and different examples of error coins. The definition below of error coins is taken from wikipedia, but the main error definitions are my own. Enjoy!

Error Coin Definition
Mint-made errors are errors in a coin made by the mint during the minting process. They are almost always accidental and in modern minting are usually very rare, making them valuable to numismatists. Minting errors are far more common in older coinage, understandably. Authentic error coins must not be confused with coins that have incurred damage after being minted.

Off-Center Struck Coins
These errors are made when the coin blank is not fully in the die press before the strike is made, resulting in only a portion of the blank being struck with the coin design. This is the most common and easy to identify error coin, and the off-center error will be noted with the approximate percentage of the coin that is off center, i.e. 5%, 10% 20%, etc. The more off-center the coin is, the more valuable it will be. Examples:

Off Center Morgan Dollar, approx. 30% off center:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2084/...c0b4cc.jpg?v=0

Off Center Large Cent:
http://byersnc.com/inventory/2339596m.jpg

Off Center $5 Gold, approx 10% off center:
http://www.byersnc.com/inventory/2810945o.jpg


Double Struck Coins
Not to be confused with the off-center strikes, these coins are made when a fully struck coin is not properly ejected from the die press and remains to take a second strike. A double struck coin could have been struck in many different areas of the coin, which makes for lots of varieties of double struck errors. In even rarer cases, coins can be struck three or more times. Examples:

Double Struck Indian Head Cent:
http://byersnc.com/inventory/599264-003m.jpg

Double Struck Seated Dime:
http://www.byersnc.com/inventory/21597973o.jpg

Quadruple Struck Sacajawea Dollar:
http://byersnc.com/inventory/2322989m.jpg

Brockages
When a fully struck coin, instead of ejecting from the die press, instead gets stuck to the die, the die will raise with the coin stuck to it, and when the next blank gets fed into the press, it will be struck with the die/coin combo. The result is an error coin in which each side of the coin is the same design (either an obverse/obverse brockage or a reverse/reverse brockage) since the coin was struck by a die on one side and a finished coin on the other. The side of the error coin which was struck by the coin will be a mirrored image, since the blank was struck with the stuck coin rather than the die. These errors also tend to be very soft strikes, since it is not the die impressing the design into the coin, but another coin. Sometimes only a percentage of the stuck coin will be struck on to the error, resulting in a 40%, 50%, 60% brockage, etc. Examples:

Barber Half Dollar Full Reverse Brockage:
http://minterrornews.com/priceguidebrockageimage.gif

Barber Dime 40% Obverse Brockage:
http://www.fredweinberg.com/data/images_w/10723644.jpg

Roosevelt Dime Full Obverse Brockage:
http://www.littletoncoin.com/LCC/htm.../a5453d-wc.jpg

More to come!

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Awesome thread. I am intrigued by error coins but am rarely inspired to desire to pay for them. Obviously, If I found one in circulation I'd pull it and keep it. The coolest error I've seen to date is waffling. I hope that subject is included in "more to come".

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

All of the off center strikes in your pictures are more or less off center in the vertical direction. Is this the most common due to the way planchets are fed into the press?

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

I don't think so, I imagine various minting machines take the coins in different ways. Here are some other examples of off-center coins that aren't vertical:

Off-Center Kennedy Half, approx 70% off
http://byersnc.com/inventory/5839695m.jpg

Off-Center Seated Liberty Dime, approx 20% off
http://byersnc.com/inventory/21597972m.jpg

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

How does a coin like that off-center half even make it into circulation? It would create an obvious bulge in a roll.

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Not all coins are rolled, many are dumped into coin bags and sent to banks. Plus as many of these are older coins, quality control was probably much less efficient back then than today.

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Waffling isn't really an mint error, because it's intentional destruction of the coin by the mint. Let's say a whole batch of coins comes through with errors (like the common presidential dollars missing the edge lettering). They cancel the coins by running them through a waffling machine which cancels their status as legal tender. Usually they'll melt them, but the mint has released some to be sold as novelties to collectors, but I don't think these slip out into circulation. There are no real old examples of waffling, since it is a fairly new technique developed by the mint to cancel entire loads of coins.

Waffled Quarter and Cent
http://www.bestcoin.com/images/Waffled-Coins.JPG

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

I've got a couple of Saints that are mint errors.

1924 MS63 struck through NGC

1909 D/D AU58 ANACS

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

I know it's not an error
but

I got a Canadian copper planchet while hand sorting pennies a couple of days ago,my 1st one in about $1000 of pennies.

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

I think the blanks should rank high on the error list, that said I have found 2 in the last few weeks, one dime plachet I noticed at the coin counter, and one Zincoln out of a box a few days ago handsorting for copper.
Here's one I had for about 20 years, couple years ago I gave it to a pretty girl who wanted it.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...002_edited.jpg
I found this in a solid 1999D box of halves, wish I had kept it in the MS it was in but I let it get scratched a little. HH all, Mark
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...100_edited.jpg

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

I think off centers with the dates still showing are worth more

I have found one error coin, it was one of those state quarters with everything appearing normal except the edge was silver not copper and it was a D mint mark. I took it to the coin shop and they thought it was authentic but had never heard of the error and had no idea what it was worth. They recommended sending it in to ANACS but I haven't had the time. Sounds like it was the wrong planchet but it does weigh the right amount.

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Clipped Planchet
When the blanks which eventually get stamped into coins are being cut out of a metal strip, it is fed into a machine which punches the blank planchets out of the metal. When the strip is being punched to create blanks, sometimes a blank is cut into an area which was already punched, leaving a void in the planchet, which will be crescent shaped, the same diameter as the coin. When the incomplete blank gets struck by the dies, the coin comes out with a missing area. Straight clips can occur if a blank is cut out on the end or beginning of the metal strip. Examples:

1972 Eisenhower Dollar
http://i2.tinypic.com/sxdwkm.jpg

1996 Jefferson Nickel
http://www.jimscoins.net/images/curved_clip.jpg

1944 Wheat Cent w/ Straight Clip
http://www.anythinganywhere.com/comm...44-error-1.jpg

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Double Die Errors
Not to be confused with a double strike, the double die error is created because of a die problem, not due to multiple strikes, etc. In the creation of a striking die, the dies are heated to soften the metal and are then pressed into the design hub to impress the coin design into the die. The impression into the die can not be made with just one press into the hub material, it takes multiple presses. If, when the die is pressed for another impression, it is off by any significant amount, the die will show a doubled design. Any and all coins struck by the doubled die will be a double die error coin. Generally these are caught immediately and the die is destroyed. The most famous double die in the US is the 1955 Lincoln Cent double die. Examples:

1955 Lincoln Cent Double Die:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...d_die_cent.png

1937 Double Die Washington Quarter:
http://koinpro.tripod.com/VarietiesU...5cV001IGWT.jpg

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Strike Through
Struck through coin errors are made when a foreign object is between the blank planchet and the die as the coin is being struck. Examples include hair or debris resting on a planchet, the coin will be "struck through" the debris, resulting in a coin showing the impression. Strike through errors have been seen to include string, cloth, staples, etc. The most common strike through errors are when grease builds up in a die, resulting in missing letters or blurry areas of a coin when everything else is sharp and brilliant. It is said that the coin has been "struck through" the grease. Examples:

Kennedy Half struck through string:
http://www.jimscoins.net/images/strike_through.jpg

And one of my own, a Roosevelt dime struck through grease, eliminating the last number of the date:

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

I have a Canadian dime dated 194 that must of been struck through grease?

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

If the rest of the coin is clear, then that's the probable scenario. Like on the Roosie above, grease filled the last number on the date. They're very common errors though, so unfortunately they don't fetch much of a premium. :bawling:

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Also, in case anyone is interested in error coins, check out the book "World's Greatest Mint Errors" by Mike Byers. I've been reading it and hence have been on an error coin kick the past few weeks.


http://www.zyruspress.com/images/pro...1933990023.png

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Off Metal/Wrong Planchet Errors
These are my favorite type of error coins. As the name describes, these errors are made when the wrong planchet, either size or metal composition, is struck by a different die. I.e. a copper cent planchet being struck by a dime die, or any numerous other combinations. They are very dramatic errors and are quite rare, making them very valuable. Examples:

Susan B Anthony Dollar on Cent Planchet:
http://byersnc.com/inventory/3219821m.jpg

Ike Dollar on a Cent Planchet:
http://mikebyers.com/inventory/10514980o.jpg

Jefferson Nickel on Dime Planchet:
http://byersnc.com/inventory/21523338m.jpg

Re: The Error Coin Thread
 

Rust grew in the T and it was struck very weakly:
http://z.about.com/d/coins/1/0/f/0/-...r_Coin_175.jpg

If that's not a message I don't know what is.