What are Error Coins?
Posted by D&G on
Quite simply, they’re coin mistakes made at the mint during the production process. Due to stringent control systems, most of these mistakes never see the light of day. However, a fairly large number find their way out into circulation.
Error coins come in several varieties, including:
- Off-center: An error where the coin is struck partially on the coin blank, showing only a portion of the coin design.
- Double die: An error where the coin is struck by a die that has a doubled image on it. A most often cited coin is a 1955 Lincoln penny with a doubled date on the image.
- Clipped planchet: An error where the coin is struck on a coin blank with a portion of the metal is missing. The clipped area of the coin will be shaped like a crescent moon.
A fun activity in our family is to search the loose change on a monthly basis for error coins. A 7x magnifying glass our loupe is handy to help locate the small errors.
Most error coins fetch a few dollars with online auctions sites like EBay. But occasionally, you might find one that can be worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
2 Responses to “What are Error Coins?”
I recently purchased two of the 2009 District of Columbia and Territories proof set from the mint. As soon as I opened the first box, I could see, with the necked eye, a huge scratch on the Northern Mariana Islands coin directly beside the engraver’s initials. Should I send the package back because the one coin is damaged or do I hold on to it because it is an error? Please let me know because I don’t have a lot of time to return to item. Thanks.
By Bridgette-PA on Feb 24, 2009
Hi Bridgette,
You could be describing a die scratch, resulting from the cleaning of coin dies. I haven’t seen any news of these errors appearing on the 09 coins you purchased. And it’s hard to examine online. I suggest you visit a local coin dealer who can personally verify if this is an error coin.
By D&G on Feb 24, 2009