Part VI. Striking Errors:

Counterbrockages:

Grease-generated counterbrockage

Definition: A counterbrockage generated by a “grease” deposit carrying the design of a coin that had been pressed into it during an earlier strike.

The obverse of this 2008-P Arizona quarter dollar displays a probable grease-generated counterbrockage. A stiff, but still pliable grease deposit located in the die recess corresponding to Washington’s neck collided twice with the left side a previously struck quarter. The raised letters of IN GOD WE TRUST impressed themselves into the grease, creating a mold. Two sets of closely-spaced letters (“In GOD TRU”) were generated. The next quarter planchet that was fed into the striking chamber (this coin), was left with a positive impression of that mold in Washington’s neck.

It should be noted that Jason Cuvelier diagnosed this error as a floating (Type II) counterbrockage. The fact that the raised letters are confined to the larger patch left by the grease deposit argues otherwise.