Definition: Any two of the four types of misalignments — horizontal, vertical, pivoted, and rotated — can occur in combination. Illustrated here is a dime that features a 50% horizontal misalignment and a vertical misalignment of perhaps 15 degrees. The strike is also exceptionally weak. Coin courtesy of Paul Heinen.
Definition: This misalignment of the dies occurs when both the hammer and anvil die are not aligned properly during the striking of coins.
1975 Mexico 20 centavos shows a roughly 20% horizontal misalignment of the hammer (obverse or eagle-bearing) die toward what would ordinarily be the 1:00 position. The hammer die is also rotated about 150 degrees clockwise. Since the rotation is so great, we are able to distinguish this from a pivoted die error. A pivoted die error is unlikely to reorient the design more than 90 degrees away from its normal position.
The map found on the Italian 1000 Lire coin minted in 1997 was stylized. However, Denmark was shown as part of Germany, The Netherlands was included in Belgium and the eastern part of Germany was nowhere to be found. Italy quickly introduced a corrected version of the map and produced a million new coins. Mintage for both the error and the corrected coins are comparatively the same.
1998 (same as 1997) corrected map (left image)1997 error map (right image)
Inset area in red is where the change occurred.
1976 Montreal Olympic $5.00 Marathon Runner Coin: Runner with Two Left Feet
A close examination of the $5.00 silver coin, issued for the Montreal Olympics in 1976, shows the runner having two left feet.
Images courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint.
Definition: A misspelled word or words were incorporated into a master hub or were engraved or punched into a master die.
Chile 50 Peso, Misspelled “CHIIE”
The 2008, 50 Peso coin was recalled by the Chilean mint due to the misspelling of the country’s name C-H-I-I-E. This mistake cost the general manager of the Chilean mint his job. The most remarkable aspect of this story is that the coins were released in 2008; however, the spelling mistake was not noticed until 2010.
Another misspelling occurred on 1000 Reis from Brazil (Brasil) minted in 1922 that had the country’s name misspelled BBASIL. This coin comes to us courtesy of Josh Mangham.
The next coin found with a misspelling is a 1 Kuna from Croatia. This error occurred only in 1994 where somehow the birds name had an extra “N” applied. The correct spelling is LUSCINIA (the right side image) and not LUSCINNIA (the left side image). This coin also to us courtesy of Josh Mangham.
Definition: Thin layers of copper can be rolled into coin metal strip or struck into planchets. In most cases, the source of the copper is uncertain. It could represent copper that flaked off a length of cent strip or from one or more
cent planchets. It may be copper that separated from the surface of an improperly annealed nickel planchet.
Shown below is a 1972-D nickel with three pieces of copper foil embedded in the surface. These were most likely struck into the coin. The largest piece wraps around the coin’s edge for a short distance
Definition: “Coreless”, “all-clad”, or “solid-clad” coins.
This is a normally clad denominations struck on a solid, full-diameter, solid copper-nickel planchet. Such planchets may be derived from both clad coin metal strips if the former protrude beyond the core strip at the leading or trailing end of the merging strips as they enter the bonding mill. The two clad strips would then be pressed together to form a composite, bi-laminar copper-nickel strip.
A more likely scenario has one of the the clad strips protruding beyond the other two strips at the leading or trailing end of the merging strips. A blank punched from this protruding end would be composed of solid copper-nickel (75% copper and 25% nickel). A possible candidate is the dime shown below.
This 1974-D dime was struck on a very thin, solid copper-nickel planchet. It weighs 0.9 grams, which is over twice the weight of a normal clad layer (0.4 grams). The unstruck areas of the obverse face show rough linear striations that were almost certainly generated by the rotating descaling brushes that clean the coin metal strips before they enter the bonding mill.
Other, heavier candidate coins — both dimes and quarters — have been offered up as coreless specimens. However, some were definitely foreign planchets while others were “orphan” off-metal errors (see “off-metal/wrong planchet errors”).
Definition: A counterbrockage occurs when an error coin with a brockage is struck into a planchet.
NOTE: Counterbrockages can be in-collar, out-of-collar, centered, or off-center. They can be aligned with, or rotated relative to, the opposite, die-struck face. The degree of expansion and distortion depends on how many previous planchets were struck and whether one or both participants in the error were confined by the collar.
Definition: This type of die clash must have at least two different sets of clashes to form. When the first set of clash marks are formed on the opposing die, they become part of that die’s unintentional design. If a second clashing of the
dies occurs, that unintentional design element or clash mark is then clashed back to the original die that it came from. However, the clash mark will be offset in position from the original design element that created the initial clash mark. That offset of position maybe small or great and is dependent on the relative position of the dies when they clashed in both instances.
To see more of this counter clash click HERE
To learn more concerning counter clashes click HERE
Definition: Type II counterclashes trace their origin to a stray piece of hard metal that invades the striking chamber. The metal can be a die fragment, a piece of the collar, a piece of hardware like a bolt or washer, a broken-off machine part, or just about anything else one can imagine. In most cases it’s impossible to identify the nature and origin of the foreign object. The object receives an initial strike, which leaves it with a raised design on one or both faces (one face can be protected by a planchet). The object then shifts position within the striking chamber and is struck again. This transfers the design back to the die face in the form of an incuse mirror image. Generally, only the field portion of the die face is affected. Every coin struck afterward shows raised, normally-oriented design elements in an unexpected location.
There are six Type II counterclash errors recognized among U.S. coins. There is a 1969-S cent with an extra E PLURIBUS UNUM on the reverse face that runs at an angle of almost 90 degrees to the normal motto. There are two 1983 and a 1985 cents. One of the 1983 (CLO-001) shows an extra LIBER upside down and above the date. The other 1983 (CLO-002) shows an extra N GO weaving through IN GOD WE TRUST. The 1985 shows an E from E PLURIBUS UNUM in bay 3.There is a 2000-P Sacagawea dollar with a rather faint counterclash involving the letters ICA (from AMERICA) and the designer’s initials TDR. Finally, the images below illustrate the fifth, a very strong counterclash involving the letters CAESAR RODNEY on the reverse face of a 1999-P Delaware state quarter.
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1999-P Delaware quarter with a Type II counterclash image of CAESAR RODNEY on the reverse face.
There are three Canadian quarters with counterclash errors. The February 1999 Millennium series quarter shows a “floating hand”. The September 1999 quarter shows an extra face within the body of the little girl on the right (the “four faces” counterclash) and the July 1999 Canadian quarter with counterclash appearing in both the field and on the design. Below images highlight the July 1999 Canadian quarter.
A close-up of the counterclash near the 10:30 clock position (left). A close-up of the counterclash near the 9:30 clock position (right).
Definition: The term “crescent clip” or “crescent curved clip” is used for coins struck on planchets with exceptionally large clips. Alan Herbert defines a crescent clip as one that has subtracted more than 61% of the normal weight. We feel this is too generous and use a threshold of 75%.
The images below show an undated cent with off-center strike on a crescent clip planchet. Images are courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Below are images of a pair of crescent clip nickels. Images courtesy Ynes Zavala.
