PART XI. Non Errors:

Coins Struck By Counterfeit Dies

Definition: This category includes 1) counterfeit designs struck on counterfeit planchets, 2) counterfeit designs struck on genuine planchets, and counterfeit designs struck over genuine designs.

Amateurish efforts often involve the use of relatively soft dies.  (This should not to be confused with abnormally soft, but entirely genuine dies that can result from improper annealing, quenching, and tempering.)  A soft die can be made by squeezing a coin into an unstruck planchet (or other metal disc), and then affixing the disc to a metal rod.

Genuine coins struck a second time by soft counterfeit dies show soft, blended overlap between the original, genuine design and the counterfeit second design.

The above images show a replicated 1919(P) Lincoln cent that was manufactured by counterfeit dies on a soft white metal blank weighing 3.4 grams. The coin is courtesy of Bill Olsen.