Error Coins- The Coin Alley

Error Coins

You want to collect error coins, good error coins are a great challenge in coin collecting. Finding them is just as fun, if not more fun, than finding that old coin in your pocket change. Error coins happen for a variety of reasons, and here we will shed a little light on how and why error coins come to be.

Every variety of coins that have been produced by the United States Mint has had coins that were failures. These coins, which are supposed to be thoroughly screened by the US Mint some how make it out of the presses, to the banks, and in to circulation for the people to find. So what are error coins, well they are described as coins that were factory flaws. Mis-struck, off center strike, double strike, and broad strike are just to name a few of the different types of error coins that are in circulation. Coin blanks are also considered error coins even though they are nothing more that the blank planchet that the coin was supposed to be pressed on, but never happened. Below are a few examples of error coins that people collect everyday. Look into your collection and see if you have any of these varieties in your coin collection.

Blank Planchet

Blank planchets occurs when coins are running through the presses at the mint and do not get struck. There are basically two types of these that can be found. The first type is one that is a blank that comes in from the blanking press, this is a Type 1 variety. The other type is when the edges of the coin are slightly raised from when they go through the softening process just before being stamped with the design, this is a Type 2 variety.

Off Centering

off center error coin

One of the more collected is the off center strike. This happens when the coin planchet is not fed into the coin press correctly, and only one part of the coin is struck. Collectors usually categorize them in two ways, how much of the design in missing and where the off center is struck. They usually tell you that the coin is mis-struck at 4:00, like the one shown above. It is easier for them reference a clock in terms of the mis-strike, than trying to tell you any other way.

Clipped Planchet

clipped planchet error coin

The Clipped Planchet occur when coins come out of the stamping process and the metal sheets that the blanks are made from shifts during the process. When the blanks are stamped out in a line and the metal shifts it causes the blanks to over-lap causing the blanks to have a curved or straight line clip on the coin. They are not discovered through the minting process and enter the stamping dies where the design is pressed on the coin and then released into circulation.

Broad Strike

broad strike error coin

This broad strike occurs when debris becomes lodged without the coin being firmly seated in the collar during the minting process inhibiting its movement. When the coin is struck the blank planchet will spread into a bowl like effect. The coin still keeps it detail and design.

Double Striking

double strike error coin

When a coin is struck and the coin does not clear the die, the die of course resumes to strike another planchet. The result of the die striking the coin twice is called double striking, and it is one of the most popular among coin collectors.

Double Die

Double Die Error

Doubled Die is a minting error that occurred during production of the one cent coin at the United States Mint. A slight misalignment occurred causing the die with Lincoln's portrait to have a doubling of the numbers and letters. The 1955 doubled die is one of the most famous error coins. It is well-known and collectible enough for genuine double die coins to fetch prices in the hundreds of dollars, depending on condition.

Coin Collecting at The Coin Alley

Error Coins