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Homepage updated 07/27/2010

Questions & Answers ...
What's The Cause Of Split Serif RPMs?

Image © Ken Potter 2010 / Coin courtesy of Steve Gittinger
1960-D/D 1c RPM-038

    Question: Why/how do [many] mint marks wind up with split serifs? I suppose the secondary question is "do split serif mint-marks always qualify as RPM's?
    Answer: There are two distinct causes of RPMs. The most common answer to this question is that RPM's (including split serifs -- with few exceptions) occur due to an attempt to strengthen or correct a Mintmark with a second or a series of secondary blows of the mallet to the punch. If any of these attempts are off-register from the first then an RPM occurs. This can range from split serifs (many of which are considered by me and others in CONECA to be too minor to list) to wide-spread RPMs.
    The second, less publicized cause, is what I call "punch bounce." This can occur during a single blow of the Mintmark punch with a bit of bounce occurring. Most error-variety specialists do not mention this cause simply because they do not have a background in metal stamping or related operations to be aware of it, however, after decades of seeing doubling occur on metal stamping from scores of different presses ranging from Schuler to Bliss presses of all sizes that required a part number that were single struck into the part but resulted in doubling, I am of the opinion that the larger majority of RPMs are due to this cause.
    When I was in quality control, whenever a press began to impart doubled part numbers onto a workpiece, I'd shut down the press, inspect the tooling that held the numbers in place and always found loose,broken or missing bolt(s) to be the concern. While the doubling itself was of little concern, if the bolt heads were allowed to work their way out too far, the assembly and/or bolt head would begin damaging the parts or the bolt would break off and cause extensive down-time (which explains why I'd take the time to watch for this and then make sure that preventive maintenance measures were taken).
    A couple of exceptions of coins with "split serifs" that are not RPMs that come to mind are some of those for 1952-D and 1979-D. Many of these are from damaged punches. There are surely other dates for which this is a factor. These are not RPMs and we do not list them as such. KP

Recent Finds ...
Errors & Varieties Found In Change

Images courtesy of Pete Acampora

    July 27, 2010 -- Frequent contributor, Pete Acampora sent in photos of a neat find he made last week while searching through rolls. He said: "I thought it might be nice enough to make its way onto the CONECA website. I think it's called a "Struck Through Die Cap." I was also told it could be a "Late Stage Brockage." In any event, I was tickled to find it. Thanks for all the great info you put out on varieties and errors. I'm hooked."
    I agree with his assessment that it is struck through a die cap or what is commonly referred to as a "Capped Die Strike." Not a bad find!
    He also emailed us back a few days later with images or two more of his finds. See them by clicking in the link below.

See More Of His Finds Here

In The News ...
Video exclusive!
Watch The Mint Make Yosemite Quarters
&
Hub Lincoln Cent Dies, etc.

Image courtesy of John Wexler
A Hubbing Press Operator at the Philadelphia Mint installing the collar
that surrounds the die/hub assembly into the press in 1998.

July 17, 2010 -- Ever wonder how many quarters can be minted per minute or how the Mint makes dies? Jason Cochran's exclusive videos can be viewed on WalletPop by going here: Jason Cochran's Philadelphia Mint Videos. Now, since you know that videos on the web are rather ephemeral, I suggest you go in now and view it about a dozen times and store it into the memory of your brain before it disappears. I found this tidbit of information in the latest eNewletter from the E-Sylum where they also provide a link for their Featured Website: A Brief History of Coins and Coin production. Anybody interested in getting signed up for the weekly newsletter from E-Sylum can request to get on here: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum. The E-Sylum is a weekly electronic newsletter published by the Numismatic Bibliomania Society for numismatic bibliophiles, researchers, and just plain numismatists around the world. For more information about NBS, see their web site: http://www.coinbooks.org. KP

In The News ...
Buffalo Nickel Book Available

July 16, 2010 -- Longtime CONECA member, Ron Pope has just released the 11th Printing of his Buffalo Nickels - The Abraded Die Varieties - With a special comprehensive section on the strike characteristics of the series and an examination of all the known 1914 over 3 overdate dies. This 8-1/2" x 11 spiral bound 189 page book is a testament to the fact that significant abraded die varieties are catching on more and more with collectors. Originally released in 2006 the little-known book is a treasure trove of information on die clashes and abraded die varieties that has been updated numerous times to include new varieties, images and prices. The pricing section is based on direct sales and auction results and was last updated in December of 2009. Persons interested in finding out more about the book and how to obtain it may contact Pope by email at: coin.quest@yahoo.com.

In The News ...
New Half Dollar Book Available
A Register of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Die Varieties
Volume I, San Francisco Branch Mint

    July 16, 2010 -- A new book on Liberty Seated Half Dollar San Francisco Branch Mint die varieties is now available. Written by Bill Bugert, it includes special edits by and consultations with Randy Wiley, the well-known Liberty Seated Half Dollar expert. The purpose of this new book is four-fold:
· To document all the currently known Liberty Seated half dollars die marriages produced at the San Francisco Branch Mint
· To assist the beginning or advanced Liberty Seated half dollar collector into expanding beyond type, date, or date/mint collecting into die marriage collecting
· To aid the casual collector or dealer with proper variety identification and other pertinent information
· To establish a standard nomenclature for the Liberty Seated half dollar die marriages.
    Previously, The Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars listed a finite and pre-determined number of the most easily identifiable die varieties of the series. This new book is different and individually documents the San Francisco Branch Mint Liberty Seated Half Dollar die marriages of the obverse, reverse, and collar dies currently known. It is commonly misunderstood by many collectors and dealers that the Liberty Seated denominations have been studied as extensively as the older copper and bust series, where the discovery of new die marriages is rare. This is far from reality. The older copper and bust series have been extensively collected and exhaustively studied for many decades. The Liberty Seated series are far behind in that respect and have a lot of catching up to do. Bill hopes to help that along for the half dollars.
    This book is available in two 8-½ by 11 inch formats; 3-holed punched ready for your binder and another with plastic comb binding. It includes 313 pages printed on high quality 100 pound anthem gloss paper and lists 228 die marriages, almost 1,400 photographs, and detailed narratives with rarity ratings and background information. The price is $45 plus $5 postage directly from the author at: Bill Bugert, 1230 Red Rock Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-6927. Bugert may be contacted by phone at: 717 337-0229 or by email at: wb8cpy@earthlink.net.

In The News ...
New Book on CC Half Dollars
A Register of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Varieties
Volume II, Carson City Branch Mint

July 16, 2010 -- A new book A Register Of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Varieties, Volume II Carson City Branch Mint by Bill Bugert is now available. It was produced with special edits by, consultations with, and featuring the CC Half Dollar collection of Randy Wiley. The book:
· Details all known Carson City Branch Mint half dollar die marriages (96) with narratives, photo diagnostics, rarity ratings, background information, etc.
· Includes over 900 close-up and full coin photographs
· Has 220 pages in 8.5 x 11 inch size
· Printed on high quality 100# anthem gloss paper
· Available in 3-hole punched format (ready for your binder) or plastic comb binding format
Priced at $50 postpaid (please specify format) U.S. delivery. Available from the author at: Bill Bugert, 1230 Red Rock Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-6927. Bugert may be contacted by phone at: 717 337-0229 or by email at: wb8cpy@earthlink.net.

Commercial News ...
Hundreds Of Errors
In Heritage's Boston ANA Auction

Images courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries
An 1847 Large cent Cap and an Undated Jefferson nickel struck
on a 1960 Peruvian 5c are two of many highlights in the auction.

July 15, 2010 -- Hundreds of major error coins are slated to be auctioned off by Heritage Auction Galleries at the Boston ANA World's Fair Of Money to be held August 8 -15. To date Heritage already has 235 lots cataloged and is still accepting consignments and adding more lots to the catalog. To preview what is up so far in the error section you can go here: HA Auction #1143/ Errors.
If you are more interested in varieties (or other items) you may browse what is in the entire cataloged so far by going here: HA Auction #1143. To consign to the auction or view the upcoming auctions schedule go here: Consign or View Upcoming Auctions.

Commercial News ...
Over 400 Half Cent & Large Cent Errors
To Cross Auction Block

    July 15, 2010 -- Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers in association with McCawley & Grellman Auctions in Beverly Hills, announces that the largest group of half cent and large cent mint errors ever offered at auction will be offered by their firms on September 19th, 2010. Printable virtual catalogues of both collections are online now. Online bidding for this sale will be available in August.
    The sale begins with 368 selections of half cents from the Davy Collection of mint errors. This is the largest, most comprehensive collection of half cent errors ever formed. The Davy Collection was used as the basis for Walter Breen's chapter on error strikes, the "Whoops" chapter in Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents 1793-1857. Most of the pieces plated in that chapter on mint errors are included in this sale. In addition, there are 216 lots of large cent mint errors from the Dan Holmes Collection plus 50 lots of large cent "ephemera" which includes copies and other oddities from that series.
    Virtually every type of major mint error is represented in this sale, and only a couple years of Half Cent and Large Cent production, 1793-1857, are not represented by at least one example displaying a mint error. Highlights from this sale include two 1795 half cents struck over a copper trial strike of a 1794 half dollar, a mint state 1804 half cent that was double struck with two dates, and two uniface strikes. The large cent errors are represented by several double struck pieces from the 1790's that display two dates, numerous incuse brockage strikes, and one 1798 cent that was struck over a 1797 1/48 rupee copper from the English United East India Company.
    These coins will be on display at the Boston ANA World's Fair of Money, August 10-14 Tables 1008 & 1010.
    To order a catalogue, call 800-978-2646 or 310-551-2646. $15 each, $40 international. Printed catalogues will be available after August 15th, 2010.
    A very limited number of special edition hardbound Davy/Holmes catalogues will be for sale for $150 US, $180 International each. Please call to reserve your copy now. VISA/MASTERCARD accepted.

Click to view the Davy Catalogue

Click to view the Holmes Catalogue

Recent Finds ...
Another 1992 1c 'Close AM' Found!
Fourth Example Reported So Far

Image courtesy of BJ Neff

Image courtesy of David Strzalkowski
Seen here is the AM of AMERICA spaced close together. Normally the M of AMERICA
is centered between the A and E for cents of this date from all Mints including proofs.

July 14, 2010 -- CONECA member, BJ Neff reports that David Strzalkowski of Central Florida found a 1992 Lincoln cent with a 'Close AM' reverse (sometimes referred to as the 'Reverse of 1993'). This is only the fourth example reported to us so far with the third known specimen grading NGC AU-55 and selling at the Bowers & Merena January 2010 Orlando Rarities Sale on January 5th for $4830. (Scroll down to see two more stories on this variety.)
The Strzalkowski specimen was encapsulated by PCGS at the summer F.U.N. show as AU-55. The full story can be found in Billy Crawford's August edition of Die Variety News, issue # 15. Congratulations to David on a very nice find!

See The Die Variety News Story Here

In The News ...
"Greasy Ghosts" Explored In Coin World

Images courtesy of Mike Diamond

July 10, 2010 -- In the July 5th Collector's Clearinghouse column, CONECA President Mike Diamond explores the little-known phenomenon of "greasy ghosts". "Grease" (a.k.a. die fill, mint goop) of the right consistency and viscosity will tend to migrate to areas of relatively low effective striking pressure. Many of these areas lie opposite large, centrally located, deeply recessed design elements like buildings and busts. The grease slowly accumulates and solidifies to form a solid, if vague, representation of the design element on the opposite die. It leaves an amorphous, incuse version of that design element on the coin.
Seen here is a greasy ghost of Lincoln seen on the reverse face of a 1971-S cent. A considerable portion of the design on both faces has been muted or obscured by grease.

See The July 5 Coin World Story
(You must be a current CW Subscriber)

Note to authors/publishers: CONECA is interested in publishing news releases highlighting current stories published elsewhere that are associated with error-variety coins and/or the minting process. Interested authors/publishers are encouraged to send an abstract along with a photo or more and details of when and where the article was published to the CONECA webmaster at: conecawebsite@koinpro.com (please -- only email submissions).

In The News ...
Another Kind Of Ghosts Of Lincoln!

Image © Ken Potter / Coin courtesy of Robert Pelletier
The upper two images show the coin from a normal perspective while the lowest image
shows the reverse inverted and horizontally flipped in Photoshop™ so that you
can see the"Ghost Of Lincoln" as it mimics the actual portrait.

July 10, 2010 -- Since Mike Diamond did such a nice presentation on "Greasy Ghosts" (see above) I thought I'd take a look at another kind of "Ghost" that collectors run into from time to time. Robert Pelletier sent in a 1947-S cent that I featured in Numismatic News back in January. His coin has an effect that occurred quite prominently during the Wheat-back cent era to a small percentage of these coins than at any other time on modern U.S. coinage. It’s sometimes referred to as a “Ghost of Lincoln” since you can see a strong outline of Lincoln’s bust upside down on the reverse. While weaker examples this variation are common on many denominations, strong ones are not nearly so. The variation does not seem to have ever caught on to any degree. While it was well-known by many error-variety collectors decades ago, it appears to be almost forgotten today. This might be because what we most commonly encounter today are Memorial cents where the effect does not show up to the same degree. It also shows up to a greater or lesser degree on other denominations including foreign coins.
The CONECA Glossary (derived largely from the works of Alan Herbert) says: “When a die nears the end of its usefulness, often it exhibits the major central design of its opposing mate. This design is transferred from one die to the other through the striking of the coin metal. Alan Herbert gives this illustration: “The best example I can offer of this phenomenon is the toy which you’ve all seen which has five or six metal balls hanging in a row, touching each other. When you pull back the end ball and allow it to strike the row, it causes the ball at the far end to swing away from its neighbor. The same thing occurs with design transfer, the outline of the design being transferred from one die to the other. This variety is fairly common on the early wheat cents. It is often called the “ghost of Lincoln. The technical term for this is IMPD (Internal Metal Displacement Phenomenon." KP

In The News ...
NN Interview With John Mercanti
Reminisces On Mintmark Punching & More

Image courtesy of the US Mint
John Mercanti, Chief Engraver of the United States Mint

July 07, 20010 -- In a recent interview by Numismatic News editorial director, Debbie Bradley, of the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, John M. Mercanti, he discusses new technology and new designs at the Mint. While the entire article is very revealing, of particular interest to some will be his recollections of starting out each day with the engraving staff punching Mintmarks into individual dies (a practice that was phased out two decades ago). He also describes how today's cutting-edge technology used to create dies has been the cause of an increase in dies cracking in recent years and what the engraving staff is doing about it.
See the July 18 issue of Numismatic News for many more photos and descriptive cutlines than are shown in the digital version accessible below.

See The Article Here

In The News ...
Whitman Releases "100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins"

    July 06, 20010 -- Whitman Publishing of Atlanta, GA, announces the release of 100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins, by Nicholas Brown, David Camire, and Fred Weinberg. The book will debut at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Boston, August 11, 2010. In this richly illustrated coffee-table book, three of America’s best-known error-coin specialists take the reader on a personal guided tour of the remarkable misstrikes and other oddities produced by the U.S. Mint.
    100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins is the seventh entry in Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest™ library. It follows books that showcase coins, paper money, medals and tokens, comic books, and stamps.
    “Each of the 100 Greatest error coins was voted into place by leading coin dealers, collectors, researchers, and historians,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. Inside, the reader will find prized and seldom-seen rarities—the unique and high-valued pieces that collectors dream about. The book also explores more readily available and widely popular error coins. All of them have a special “how’d that happen?” quality, and the authors explain how each error occurred.
    Forewords by Richard Doty (senior curator of numismatics at the Smithsonian Institution) and Douglas Mudd (curator of the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum) welcome the reader to this fascinating part of the hobby.
    The introduction by Q. David Bowers includes a historical narrative on the U.S. Mint; numismatic aspects of error coins; and the history of error-coin collecting in the United States. “Errors have grown into one of the hobby’s most active fields in recent years,” the authors note.
    A two-page spread is devoted to each of coins No. 1 through No. 10, with Nos. 11 through 100 enjoying a full page. In the banner at the top of each page are the coin’s rank, a descriptive title, and the quantity known. Essays describe the errors, how they were made, the circumstances of their discovery, and other interesting details. These essays are illustrated with enlarged photographs, and images of related errors. A summary of each coin’s market value going back to 1980 is included.
    The book is rounded out by an in-depth, heavily illustrated appendix on the minting process and how error coins are made and how they get out of the mint. This section’s photographs include never-before-published images from inside the U.S. Mint’s operations. A second appendix covers the famous “golden dollar mules” (with the obverse of a state quarter), including a detailed registry of the 10 specimens discovered so far.
    “100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins is not just a value guide or a fancy picture book,” said Tucker. “It’s a doorway that takes the reader to a hundred different points in the Mint’s production processes, most of which have been kept secret for years. And it’s a fascinating introduction to the hobby of collecting these important coins.”
    Broadstrikes and brockages, off-centers and wrong planchets, die caps and double strikes and mules—all of these and more await the reader in 100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins.
    The book is coffee-table-size, 144 pages, full color, with stories for every coin, and more than 500 illustrations. Retail price is $29.95. 100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins will debut in August 2010 at the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Boston, and after that will be available online (including at www.WhitmanBooks.com) and at hobby shops and bookstores nationwide.

Commercial News ...
Jim's C&S Announces July Error Auction

A few of the coins in the auction are shown above.

July 04, 2010 -- Jim's Coins & Stamps of Madison, WI, latest error-variety coin auction includes hundreds of United States and foreign error-variety coin and currency related items including some literature. Bidding closes on August 1, 2010. The online version of the auction can be downloaded from here: http://jimscoins.com/auction040.php. Future sales may be accessed from www.jimscoins.com. Persons wishing to subscribe to a hard copy version of the auctions may obtain more information via email at errorsale@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 608-233-2118.

In The News ...
Another 1969-S DDO Found!

Strong hub doubling shows on the date. The slight doubling on the east side of the 'S' Mintmark is
Strike Doubling -- all 1969-S doubled dies I have seen in the past three years showed some strike
doubling of the 'S' Mintmark to a greater or lesser degree (one showed massive strike doubling
on the 'S'. This should not be confused with the hub doubling all over the rest of the coin. KP

Images courtesy of CONECA Member Charles Clark
Click On Picture To See More Images

July 02, 2010 -- First there was one, then three and now there are four 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse No.1 cents that have been found by collectors within just the past three years. Such a find is financially rewarding. One of them sold for $126,500. The valuable variety shows strong hub doubling on the date, LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST.

See The Rest Of The Numismaster Story

See The Numismatic News Story

See The July 12 Coin World Story
(You must be a current CW Subscriber)

Recent Finds ...
Father & Daughter Strike Gold!
by Roger and Heidi Biller

Here is the 1982 Flip-Over Double Strike found by the father and daughter team.

July 01, 2010 -- The following is a list of Lincoln cents found from May 1, 2008 to present day. We have searched 1,500,000 cents.

13,000 Wheat cents including 5 1909-VDB's.
Doubled Dies:
1972 DDO-001
1972 DDO-002
1972 DDO-003 (3)
1972 DDO-004 (featured in Coppercoins.com)
1972 DDO-007
1972 DDO-008 (3)
1997 DDO-001
1995 DDO-001
1994 DDR-001
1994 DDR-002
1992 1DO-001 (3)
50+ RPMs
200+ Wheats with BIE die breaks and die breaks in letters/numbers.
1983/1985 reverse die clashes
1994 reverse rotation 165 degrees
200 Steel cents - found in seven hand wrapped rolls.
1982 Flip Over Double Struck
1988 RDV-006 Die #1 (3)
1988 RDV-006 Die #2
1988 RDV-006 Die #4
Platchets/Blanks (3)
Brass plated strike cents (all known dates)
Cuds (10) - 2 Major
1987 60 degree off-center
1998 Wide AM (64)
1999 Wide AM (2)
2000 Wide AM (117)
Over 2000+ error cents - grease, die breaks, etc.
1 Die Cap Strike (obverse)

Recent Finds ...
Steel Cent Cud Found In BU Roll

Images courtesy of David Winn

     June 26, 2010 -- David Winn reports finding a neat looking Major Die Break on the reverse of a 1943 zinc coated steel cent. A Major Die Break is often affectionately referred to as a Cud, a nickname born in the early days which is one of the few that stuck to this day. He said that he found it while searching what he perceived to be an original roll vs. a put-together-roll since many of the coins in the roll shared the same die characteristics (such as the same die breaks, etc.). He noticed that this particular Cud is rather symmetrical "with sharp angles" unlike the majority of other cuds that are more often than not, "an amorphous blob ."   The zinc plated steel cent planchets used in 1943 wreaked havoc on the dies resulting in extreme die wear and breakage.
    Over 80 cuds are known for the Philadelphia issue alone and 51 for the San Francisco Mint. Mysteriously and in shark contrast, Denver only produced a total of two cuds known so far.
    These numbers are based on the listings found in Sam Thurman and Arnold Margolis', The Cud Book produced in 1997 and their 2001 The Cud Book Supplement. Undoubtedly a few more have been added to the list since then. While the quality of the images in The Cud Book are somewhat lacking and don't allow me to to positively identify Winn's variety by it's listing number (if it is listed), it is without a doubt a neat find and because it's on a steel cent it's in demand by error collectors more so than other cuds of similar vintage. To learn more about cuds, what they are and what they aren't, and a look at several actual dies that produced cuds go here: http://koinpro.tripod.com/Articles/WhatIsACud.htm. Don't forget to visit www.CoinSpace.org while you're at it! Winn, (aka TequilaDave), is the moderator of CoinSpace.   KP

In The News ...
Website Devoted To MAD Clashes Unveiled

Image courtesy of Mike Diamond
This is the most common radical misaligned die clash. It appears on a 1995 cent and
documents a vertical and a 25% horizontal misalignment of the hammer (obverse) die relative to the anvil die.

    June 25, 2010 -- A new website devoted to radically misaligned die clashes is up and running. The website, whose address is http://www.maddieclashes.com, focuses on strange, faint die clashes that appeared on Lincoln cents from 1992 to 2000. These clashes are very different from ordinary clashes. They often document massive horizontal die misalignments of up to 45%. All of them also indicate that one of the dies was tilted during the clash, creating a vertically misaligned die clash. Rotated and pivoted die clashes are also in the mix.
    It's not even clear that these clashes are generated during a press run. Cents struck by dies as strangely misaligned as these clash marks indicate are not to be found. No attempt was made to erase any of the clash marks. It's possible these dies are clashing before or during installation.
    The site lists about a dozen clashes. But there are undoubtedly many more radical misaligned clashes out there to be found.
    The site is operated by BJ Neff, Jason Cuvelier, Mike Diamond, and Bob Piazza.

Submitted by Mike Diamond

In The News ...
CONECA & NCADD At FUN Show

June 25, 2010 -- CONECA along with NCADD will be represented at the annual summer F.U.N. show which is being held at the Orange County Convention Center, Hall "C" in Orlando Florida. The show dates are from the 8th till the10th of July, opening at 10:00 AM till 5:30 PM. We will be at table 0118 and will be giving free verbal attributions on error and variety coins throughout the whole show. If you have a question about one of your coins, make sure to bring it with you to the show so that we can take a look at it. We will also have a free drawing of error and variety coins for all young numismatists (17 years old and younger) and for those who sign up for membership or renewal of their membership in CONECA and/or NCADD. The top prize in this drawing will be an 1861 Seated Liberty half dime with a nice doubled die obverse. This coin is valued at over $50.00, plus there will be other coins with values ranging from $2.00 up to $25.00. We will also have free copies of ERRORSCOPE and The HUB available. I will also be giving a power point presentation at this FUN show titled “What is That Mark on My Coin” at 1:00 PM, Friday the 9th of July, 2010. Hope to see you all there - BJ Neff.

Submitted by BJ Neff

Commercial News ...
Strike It Rich With Pocket Change CD
Closeout Price Just $3.00

June 25, 2010 -- While the second edition of Strike It Rich With Pocket Change is now out, Krause Publications is making a special deal on CDs that they made of the first edition. The price is just $3 each plus postage. To read more about the offer follow the link below.

Special CD Offer

Commercial News ...
Heritage Releases Top 10 1943/44 Dated 1c Errors

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions

June 20, 2010 -- For "This Week's Top Ten" feature, Heritage Auction Galleries' June 19, 2010 eNewsletter offers their list of the ten highest valued 1943 and 1944-dated coins to be offered in Heritage Auctions. Of course, every coin on the list is a Mint Error, either being a 1943-P or S cent stuck on a copper alloy planchet or a 1944-P-D-S cent struck on a zinc plated steel planchet! They range in price from $34,500 to $373,750. So without further ado here they are:

1944-S 1C --On a Zinc-Plated Steel Planchet--MS66 NGC. Sold for $373,750.

1943 Cent--Struck on a Bronze Planchet--AU58 PCGS. Sold for $218,500.

1943-S Cent--Struck on a Bronze Planchet--VF35 PCGS. Sold for $207,000.

1944-D 1C --Struck on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet--MS63 NGC. Sold for $115,000.

1944-D 1C --Struck on a Steel Planchet--MS62 NGC. Sold for $92,000.

1944-D 1C --Struck on a Zinc-Coated 1943 Steel Cent Planchet--AU55 ANACS. Sold for $69,000.

1944-D Lincoln Cent--Struck on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet--AU55 NGC. Sold for $60,375.

1943 1C Copper Cent AU 50 ANACS. Sold for $46,000.

1944-D 1C --Struck on a 1943 Zinc-Coated Steel Cent Planchet--AU50 ANACS. Sold for $34,500.

1944 1C --Struck on a Steel Planchet--AU58 NGC. Sold for $34,500.

See The Entire Newsletter Here

Mint Error News Magazine
Issue #31 Now Available

May 17, 2010 -- Mint Error News Magazine #31 is now online! You can download a free PDF copy of it here: http://minterrornews.com/issue31.pdf . This issue is 186 pages long and features hundreds and hundreds of errors, error coin prices, book reviews, etc.! Also, Mint Error News Magazine recently placed the error article content of every issue in one place. See the index here: http://minterrornews.com/contentlist.html. For a printed version MENM or Byers' catalog contact him at: mike@mikebyers.com.

In The News ...
MS-67 Red 1917 DDO Up For Auction!

Click to enlarge

    June 15, 2010 -- One of two of the finest known 1917 double die obverse cents goes on the auction block on June 17th in Bowers & Merena's June 2010 Baltimore Auction # 41, Lot #1284. The lot header describes the coin as: "1917 Lincoln Cent. FS-101 (FS-013). Doubled Die Obverse. MS-67 RD (PCGS). Secure Holder." The description of the coin begins as follows: "This is a DDO error that has grown tremendously in popularity among Lincoln Cent enthusiasts in recent years. Writing in the 2009 book Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton state of the 1917 FS-101 Doubled Die Obverse:  This variety has finally become arguably the most sought after of the early Lincoln cent varieties. Grades as low as G-4 are easily sold, and higher grade examples may command prices higher than those listed here.
    David W. Lange, in his book The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents (1996), echoes these sentiments when he states:  A distinct, doubled-die obverse is known for [the 1917] and has become extremely popular with specialists. Uncirculated examples remain quite rare."
    Pre-Bidding Ends: 6/17/2010 2:00:00 PM while Live Floor and Internet Bidding Begins: 6/17/2010 3:00 PM. For more complete description and additional images of this coin go here: http://www.bowersandmerena.com/Auctions/AuctionLot.aspx?LotID=61717.
    Note: This coin was bid up to $80,500.00 including the buyer's premium but did not meet the reserve.

Click to enlarge

Another of the many varieties in this auction is a 1917 Buffalo nickel with a doubled die reverse. It is one of only two graded MS64 between NGC and PCGS. According to the Cherrypickers' Guide the doubling on this coin shows clearest on E PLURIBUS UNUM, the VE CE of FIVE CENTS, the lower ground, and the legs, horn, beard and mane of the buffalo. For more complete description and additional images of this coin go here: http://www.bowersandmerena.com/Auctions/AuctionLot.aspx?LotID=62034. Images shown here courtesy of Bowers & Merena Auctions.
Note: This coin sold for $11,500.00 including the buyer's premium.

Members Share ...
1988-D Transitional Reverse Find
by Jeffrey Yost

Image courtesy of James Wiles

   June 15, 2010 -- Hello fellow CONECA members! I have been collecting error coins for the past five years. I started collecting coins about 35 years ago when a high school friend got me interested. I worked at a arcade and it just kills me now to think of all the odd, errors and weird coins I just passed on. I never thought they would be worth much!
    I recently found one of the more rare coins in the Lincoln cent series. A 1988-D RDV-006. For those that don't know, this is the 1988-D cent struck with a reverse presumably intended for 1989. It was struck from the second of three reverse dies currently known for the Denver version of this variety. Six dies are known for the Philadelphia version. I found it during a roll search in late December of 2009. The Variety Vista Website has some great information on this but in a nutshell this reverse shows Frank Gasparro's designer initials "flared" vs. the straighter FG found on a normal 1988 or 1988-D cent. You can compare the normal 1988 reverse against the reverse of 1989 (shown above) by going here: http://www.varietyvista.com/1988PRDV0061%20cent.htm.
    James Wiles attributed it for me in Mid-February. Oh I knew what is was as soon as I saw it! I'd been searching years for this particular coin. I recently sent it to Heritage to get slabbed and graded. Once it is, I will let Ken Potter know so he can update the members as to how it turned out. I gotta find another one now! What a feeling to find something so rare!
    One item of note, I'd like to mention that when I sent this coin to Mr. Wiles, it got lost in the mail. All I did was put tracking on the package instead of registered mail. It got delivered to the wrong person and all the post office could tell me is that they delivered it but not to whom. Needless to say I was somewhat distressed. Fortunately it did show up. My package was delivered to Mr. Wiles, opened, but intact.
    A special thanks to both James Wiles and Bob Piazza for their constant reassurance that it would show up. I was a mess for what seemed like a long time, which turned out to be a week and a half (until it finally showed up). Also thank you for providing the photo used here as well James.
    Thank you to Ken Potter as well and all the other coin specialists who take the time and effort to publish and inform us with their knowledge.

Recent Finds ...
Where The Formative Years
Doubled Dies Are Found
by Tony Clement

Image © Ken Potter 2010
This one is listed by CONECA as DDR-009 (9-R-VIII) and was found in Mint supplied
Collector Rolls dated 4/23/09. Your editor also found a very small number of them (three to be
precise) in a $25 bank box dated July 16, 2009 containing N.S. String & Sons red & white rolls.

June 13, 2010 -- Starting in July of 2009 I starting sending reports to Ken Potter on where I was finding examples of the 2009-P Formative Years (Rail Splitter) Lincoln cents with doubled die obverses and reverses. The reports continued for a number of months until Ken finally asked me if I could compile the entire list in chronological order based on the date and time stamped on the boxes of the two-roll sets sold by the Mint directly to collectors. What is to follow is a compilation of those efforts, i.e., the date and time stamped on the box, the inspector's number, which doubled dies were found (often there was more than one variety in a roll) and their CONECA listing numbers followed by their Wexler numbers. This information is presented below.

Rolls Sold Directly By The Mint To Collectors
(These rolls were specially packaged in commemorative wrappers and came
in a box with a roll or each from Philadelphia and Denver)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/16/09 9774 9:56 Doubled Dies Found: 8-R-VIII, 14-R-VIII (WDDR-012, WDDR-013)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/17/09 9883 12:23 Doubled Dies Found:1-O-VIII, 1-R-VIII, 2-R-VIII, 3-R-VIII (WDDO-001, WDDR-002, WDDR-001, WDDR-003)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/21/09 9883 12:12 Doubled Dies Found:10-R-VIII (WDDR-005)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/22/09 9774 13:49 Doubled Dies Found: 7-R-VIII (WDDR-008)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/23/09 9774 10:43 Doubled Dies Found: 9-R-VIII (WDDR-006)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/24/09 9774 7:38 Doubled Dies Found: 7-R-VIII, 10-R-VIII (WDDR-008, WDDR-005)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/27/09 9883 10:52 Doubled Dies Found:1-O-VIII, 1-R-VIII, 2-R-VIII, 3-R-VIII (WDDO-001, WDDR-002, WDDR-001, WDDR-003)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/28/09 9774 7:25 Doubled Dies Found: 1-O-VIII,1-R-VIII, (WDDO-001, WDDR-002)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/28/09 9774 12:50 Doubled Dies Found:10-R-VIII (WDDR-005)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/29/09 9774 9:42 Doubled Dies Found:10-R-VIII (WDDR-005)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/29/09 9883 12:14 Doubled Dies Found:1-O-VIII, 1-R-VIII, 2-R-VIII, 3-R-VIII, (WDDO-001, WDDR-002, WDDR-001 WDDR-003)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 4/29/09 9774 12:52 Doubled Dies Found:1-O-VIII, 1-R-VIII, 2-R-VIII, 3-R-VIII (WDDO-001 WDDR-002 WDDR-001 WDDR-003)

Date Stamped On Box: 4/30/09 9774 12:08 Doubled Dies Found: 4-R-VIII (WDDR-004)

Date Stamped On Box: 5/1/09 9774 8:47 Doubled Dies Found: 5-R-VIII, 8-R-VIII, 14-R-VIII (WDDR-011, WDDR-012, WDDR-013)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 5/6/09 9774 7:58 Doubled Dies Found:1-O-VIII , 1-R-VIII (WDDO-001, WDDR-002)

Date, Time & Inspector's # Stamped On Box: 5/29/09 9778 8:41 Doubled Dies Found: 25-R-VIII (WDDR-026)

Other Notes

Brinks Rolls Released One Month After The Ceremony/First Day Of Issue At Banks: 12-R-VIII (VCR#4/DDR#4) (WDDR-016)

Mixed Bank Rolls/First Day Of Release: 13-R-VIII, 16-R-VIII ,25-R-VIII (WDDR-017, WDDR-026, WDDR-028)

I opened some rolls that I purchased from American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX). They were having a close out on most of their coins and these rolls came in red and white, and brown and red wrappers in which I found doubled dies. So far out of
eight rolls I have pulled around 80 varieties.

APMEX Supplied N.F. String Red & White Rolls: 26-R-VIII, 27-R-VIII (WDDR-025, WDDR-032)

APMEX Supplied Brown & Red Rolls: 15-R-VIII, 16-R-VIII (WDDR-027, WDDR-028)

Editors Note: Both the author and I know this list is not complete. It is simply what he was able to compile from what he had access to. If any others have such information to share, please sent it to: conecawebmaster.

In The News ...
The Denver Mint Today

June 12, 2010 -- While doing some research on the Internet I found an article penned by Leon Worden for the February 2006 issue of COINage Magazine (Vol. 42, No. 2). If is a fully illustrated VIP tour of the Mint that is must reading for any serious student of the minting process.

See His Article Here

Questions & Answers ...
What Determines The Final Diameter Of A
"Golden" Dollar?

June 12, 2010 -- For the heck of it I decided to check some of my 2007-P Adams dollars including those with a smooth edge, normal edge lettering, double edge lettering and extremely strong edge lettering to see what their diameters were and if they differed from variety to variety. I measured a dozen of each at random with digital calipers and found the averages to be as follows:

Missing Inscriptions (smooth edge) 26.4875 mm
Normal Edge Inscription 26.4841 mm
Double Edge Inscription 26.4783 mm
Heavy Edge Inscription 26.3208 mm

Image © Ken Potter 2008
Here is a 2007-P Adams Dollar w/Heavy Inscription caused by a Schuler Edge Lettering Machine that was adjusted too tight.
While they range in diameter, my latest measurements of a dozen examples found that the average diameter of these coins is 26.3208 mm, which is actually just a tad larger than an unstruck planchet. A planchet that I have here found in a roll of Adams dollars measures 26.22 mm.

While one would think that the striking of the coin would be what determines the final diameter of the coin, these measurements clearly suggest that the Schuler Edge Lettering Machine is often what determines the final diameter of a coin processed as such. KP

See related story below.

Recent Finds ...
Collector Finds 2009 D NA $1
w/ Weak Edge Lettering

Image courtesy of Tony Savino
See the date by clicking on the image above

June 12, 2010 -- Back in January (January 20th to be exact), collector Tony Savino reported finding a 2009-D Native American Dollar with Weak Edge Lettering. This type of edge variation is caused by a maladjusted edge lettering machine. We've seen examples that were run through a loosely adjusted edge lettering machine that barely showed a letter or two. On the other extreme we've found that when the Schuler edge lettering machine is adjusted too tight, it results in edge inscriptions and/or ornamentation that is extremely strong. At times the adjustment is so tight that any irregularities showing on the shoulder of the edge lettering die (which is identified as a "segment" in the Shuler Edge Lettering Machine Manual that I have here) will be present and the diameter of the coin itself may be reduced by the edge lettering machine. These variations have been seen on all the Presidential and the Native American dollars with edge inscriptions. Extreme examples in either direction appear to be collectable and of some value to collectors, though from what I can see the values seem to range widely depending on when and where one is sold and whether or not it has been graded and attributed as such by a third party grading service (and which service graded/attributed it). KP

CONECA News ...
Election Time Again!
CONECA Board Positions Open

Election time is once again imminent and there are a large number of Officer and Board positions that have no candidate running. All CONECA members age 18 and older and of at least one year standing are invited to run for any elected position, open or otherwise. You’ll find a full listing of Officer and Board positions and their responsibilities at this web address: http://www.conecaonline.org/content/bylawspage.html

Unopposed, contested, and vacant positions are as follows:

President (Mike Diamond, James Wiles, Mark Lighterman currently running)

Vice-President (vacant)

Treasurer (Jim Checkovich currently running unopposed)

Secretary (vacant)

Board Seat #1: Membership (vacant)

Board Seat #2: Publications (vacant)

Board Seat #3 Youth Director (Jon Sullivan currently running unopposed)

Board Seat #4: Public Relations/Elections (vacant)

Board Seat #5: Webmaster (Ken Potter currently running unopposed)

Board Seat #6: Attribution and Examination Services (vacant)

Board Seat #7: Recognitions and Historian (vacant)

Board Seat #8: Errorama/ANA liaison (vacant)

Note: While our Treasurer, Jim Checkovich, has agreed to serve another term, he’d like the club to begin looking for a replacement.

Any qualified CONECA member can also choose to run as an “at-large” candidate. At-large candidates will be available to fill any position that remains open after the election has concluded. Naturally, it would have to be a position that appeals to the candidate.

To have your election platform printed in the September/October issue of Errorscope please send your name and your platform to Jeff Ylitalo at jylitalo@yahoo.com by Sunday, August 15th. Include the subject line “CONECA 2010 Elections”.

CONECA News ...
CONECA 25th Anniversary Medals
Final Mintages Are In & Low!

A look at a batch of the medals minted for CONECA's 25th Anniversary!

June 10, 2010 -- For those of you who purchased any or all of the CONECA 25th Anniversary Medal options last year, the final mintages* are in! I would have had them sooner but the CD on which all the information was contained (passed on to me by B.J. Neff who handled the sales) was in a format that I could not open until I had it converted to an older version of Microsoft Excel. I was surprised that the club made as much profit as it did in this economy. We were actually more interested in commemorating this important milestone in our history than generating revenue for the club but still hoping to at least break even or make a small profit. We knew that in such a bad economy that sales might be marginal. Nonetheless, the club's net profit after all costs to produce the medals was deducted was $945.00 in cash plus an overage in unsold 1oz. silver medals valued at $1025.00 for their silver content (with spot silver price at $18.31 when I did the calculation on June 8). Thus we fell just a tad short of $2000.00 in total profits! We had 100 of the medals struck in each format and noted during their sales that our final mintage would represent the number sold by the end of Errorama 2009. I'd personally like to thank all of those who supported CONECA with their purchases during these tough times! A special "thank you" goes to those who included extra funds as a donation to the club! Ken Potter - Webmaster.

The final mintages for the 25th Anniversary Medals are as follows:
One-Ounce Pure Silver - 44 pieces
Silver-Clad (26.5 grams) - 38 pieces
Golden-Bronze (26.5 grams) - 38 pieces
Silver-Clad Off-Center Strike (26.5 grams) - 55 pieces
Silver-Clad Double Strike (26.5 grams) - 55 pieces

*In the interest of full disclosure, I do want to note that it is our plan to have the silver versions melted when the time seems appropriate, but that we will hold on to the base metal examples and have their 25th Anniversary reverses effaced so that they can be used in Literary Awards Plaques or other such projects where a uniface reverse will not matter.

In The News ...
Canadian Coin News Features CONECA

Use of image courtesy of CCN
Click On Image To Read An Enlarged View Of Story

June 04, 2010 -- While going over some slightly older issues of Canadian Coin News I stumbled upon CCN columnist, Randy Heimpel's feature, CONECA's Tireless Efforts Evident On Website in the March 30 to April 12, 2010 issue of CCN. Heimpel's full page feature on our club was most welcome and after showing a scan of the column to the entire CONECA Board and Officers, we decided to extend a gigantic Thank You to both Heimpel and CCN.
While I am at it I might mention that CCN has a regular biweekly column entitled, Errors & Varieties by long-time error coin specialist, John Regitko. Those of you going back to as far as the 1960s will remember his pioneering efforts in the error-variety hobby in both U.S. and Canadian circles. His current articles are mostly on major errors but span everything from minors through Canadian error-variety literature.

New In The ErrorScope ...
July/August 2010 Errorscope Review

Images courtesy of James Wiles / Coin courtesy of Ed Raser
UST of TRUST shows Class VI hub doubling as discussed in Jeff Ylitalo's article.

    June 03, 2010 -- CONECA (The Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America) is finalizing the release of its latest bimonthly journal, The Errorscope. The July/August issue will be available to members at or around the first of the month from the CONECA Errorscope Online (assessable from the banner at the top of the CONECA homepage) and will be mailed as a card-copy version to all current members at about the same time.
    To kick things off, CONECA President Mike Diamond discusses issues encountered while trying to diagnose a variety of complex error coins. One of the coins he highlights is an unusual 1999-D nickel that really takes the term 'diagnosis' to a new level. It "features a large piece of dark gray material embedded in the reverse face. It is attracted to a magnet but not nearly as strongly as steel or pure, elemental nickel. It has a fine, uniform grainy texture that reminds me of slag," according to Diamond.
    Next up is an article by John Wexler that delves into the Class VI (Distended Hub) doubled dies. Wexler gives an in-depth look at how these dies differ from all other classes of doubled dies, and discusses how they are made.
    Jeff Ylitalo highlights a couple of class VI doubled dies in an article which includes a 2006 Lincoln cent and a 1945 Jefferson nickel. The images were gleaned from the Variety Vista site overseen by CONECA 20th/21st Century Attributer, James Wiles and is assessable from the banner at that top of the CONECA homepage: www.conecaonline.org or directly from here: www.varietyvista.com.
    Diamond advances a scientific explanation for what has been over the years referred to as 'copper wash' or 'sintered plating' errors. Most of the information he sites was taken from data supplied to him by the U.S. Mint. If you've ever wondered about this sort of error, this article is a very revealing insight into that category.
    BJ Neff submitted an article based on questions many of us have had for years concerning the dates on U.S. coinage when transitioning from one year to the next. Were they punched or engraved? A lot of research went into this article and with plenty of high-quality pictures. He might change your opinions on this topic.

Images © Ken Potter / Coin courtesy of Curtis Miller
This Spanish 1860/59 Barcelona Mint 2 reales was discussed in the current Errorscope.

    In his 'World Goodies' column, Ken Potter discusses a Spanish 1860/59 (Barcelona Mint - 8-pointed star) 2 reales that displays a nice overdate as a 60 over 59 and a possible 8 over 7 along with several other varieties submitted by CONECA member Curtis Miller.
    Other interesting submissions in this issue include: Metallurgy Surrounding the Manufacture of Eisenhower Dollars by Andrew J. Oskam, The CONECA Classroom: Off-Metals by Jon Sullivan, YN Contests and Opportunities by Sullivan, The YN Corner by Sullivan, The Secret Mule by Diamond, Membership News by Rachel Irish and The CONECA Errorama Schedule by Al Raddi.
    CONECA members wishing to receive a login username and password to access the Errorscope Online Members Only area, please email the Membership Coordinator, Rachel Irish at: MRirish5@roadrunner.com.
    A valid email address on file with CONECA is required for access to current and back issues of the Errorscope in the CONECA Errorscope Online area.
    Anybody wanting to join CONECA should contact the Irish at the above email address for an application or may download a copy from http://conecaonline.org/content/join.html. She may also be contacted directly at 101 W. Prairie #323, Hayden, ID 83835 for a membership application by sending a self addressed stamped envelope. Dues are as follows: Adult Member (U.S. Bulk Mailing) $25.00 per year, Adult Member (First Class Mail) $37.50 per year, Adult Member (Outside of the U.S.) $37.50, Young Numismatist (18 or younger - U.S. Bulk Mail) $7.50 per year.

Submitted by Bob Piazaa - CONECA Public Relations

CONECA News ...
CONECA Releases New RPM E-Book

    June, 03, 2010 -- Dr James Wiles, the 20^th (and 21^st) Century Die Varieties Attributer for CONECA has announced the release of the long awaited ‘Lincoln Cent RPM Book, Vol. 1. 1909-1958’.
    Since the last published works for re-punched mintmarks, there have been many new varieties added to the CONECA files, and this book will bring collectors up to date with the additions.
    The book is in an electronic book format, and will come on a CD housed in a DVD type case. Over 717 pages of beautiful, full color photographs will cover all 647 RPMs listed in the CONECA files for the years 1909-1958. Marker photos of each variety will also be shown to make your attributions that much easier.
    In addition to the photos, die descriptions, and marker info, this CD also includes over 55, 000 hyperlinks as well as the most current population and pricing information available. As Dr. Wiles puts it, if you can use a browser, you can read this book.
    Many long hours and painstaking research has gone into the production of this E-book. You definitely need to get your copy now!
    For more information, including the pricing, and ordering of this book, please visit us at the Variety Vista Website or use the following link: http://www.varietyvista.com/LC%20RPM%20Book%20Vol%201.htm.
    Available for immediate shipping at the introductory low price of just $30.00 plus $4.00 shipping and handling. Payment may be made by PayPal (to Jameswiles@sbcglobal.net) or by check or money order payable to James Wiles at 1490 Trail View Lane, Frisco, TX 75034.

Submitted by Bob Piazaa - CONECA Public Relations

CONECA News ...
Errorama 2010 Schedule
Aug. 10-14

Alan Herbert, Mike Ellis and Al Raddi at Errorama 2009

I. Where and When

    Errorama 2010 will be held in Boston, MA in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money which is being held at the at the Hynes Convention Center from Tuesday August 10 through Saturday August 14, 2010.
    Our club table will be set-up from Thursday August 12, 2010 through Saturday August 14, 2010. Club members will be available at the table to examine coins. Free error coins and variety coins as well as copies of Errorscope will be given out to young numismatists.
II. Events:

A. Awards Banquet

    Our Awards Banquet will be on Friday August 13, 2010 at the Boston Tennis and Racquet Club (across the street from the convention center) from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
    CONECA President and Coin World columnist Mike Diamond will speak on "Orphan Off-Metal Errors and Other Bizzaro Planchets". The CONECA Hall of Fame inductee will be announced, and the Dr. Lyndon King Award for the club's most outstanding member for the year, the Kenny Knapp Award for recruiting new members during the year, and the Literary Awards for contributions to Errorscope and the club's web site will be given. There will also be drawings for door prizes.
    The dinner will be a summer supper of hamburgers with all the fixings, pasta salad, Caesar Salad, fresh fruit, and soft drinks catered by the Pour House Restaurant. The cost to attend the Awards Banquet will be $25.

B. Annual Combined Meeting of the Board of Directors and the Membership

    On Saturday August 14, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM in a room at the Hynes Convention Center, there will be the annual Combined Meeting of the CONECA Board of Directors and Membership in a room at the convention center.

C. Cherrypicker's Awards

    On Saturday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM in a room at the Hynes Convention Center, the Cherrypicker's Awards will be given for the best error coin and the best variety coin cherrypicked at the show. For Awards Banquet reservations and further information, contact Errorama Chair Al Raddi at alraddi@aol.com.

In The News ...
Chilean Mint Fires
Mint Official For Errors

May 28, 20010 -- According to a report in the "Oddly Enough" column in Reuters in February of this year, the Chilean Mint fired its managing director after he sent into circulation thousands of coins bearing an incorrect spelling of the country's name. The 2008 50 peso coins, worth around 10 U.S. cents each, were issued in with Chile spelled "Chiie" -- an error that was only noticed late last year. "Director Gregorio Iniguez has been fired over a series of issues, including the misspelled coins, which have brought the institution into disrepute," a mint official told Reuters speaking on condition of anonymity. According to the official, "Some of the coins are still in circulation. They still carry their value. Some collectors are buying them up because they feel they are rare."

The above was brought to our attention by CONECA VP, Mark Lighterman.

See Images Of The Error Coin Here
See The Reuters Story
See The Reuters "Oddly Enough" Column

In The News ...
Double Edge Lettering Look-Alikes

Image © Ken Potter 2010 / Coin courtesy of Dominick Luckette
Double edge inscription on an 1936 Bust half dollar.

    May, 24, 2010 -- With the introduction of the Presidential series of “golden dollars” in 2007 hobbyists were treated with what many thought were new error types on U.S. coinage. Those errors included such variations as doubled edge lettering, missing edge lettering, slippage errors, etc.
    However, for those who collect early American coinage, such as Bust half-dollars (amongst others) such errors are old hat. The technology that created the earlier pieces and the sequence of events was a bit simplistic but the basics were nearly the same. Al Overton in United States Early Half Dollar Die Varieties 1794 – 1836 (now authored by Donald L. Parsley) lists 59 edge-lettering variations for the series.
    The edge lettering of that era was created by running the planchet through a castaing machine (named after the inventor Jean Castaing), which Water Breen describes in his Complete Encyclopedia of US & Colonial Coins saying that it “imparted edge ornamentation and / or edge lettering to planchets before striking. Mounted onto a bench were two parallel bars, each containing half the edge device, set apart minutely less than the blank’s diameter, one fixed, the other spring-mounted and set to move forward at the pull of a long handle. Each blank passed through the machine, rolling enough to receive the complete edge device. In practice, slippage sometimes produced blundered edge inscriptions (parts missing or overlapping); more rarely a blank might be run through a second time. The Mint personnel commonly called the operation ‘rounding and edge marking’.” "

Image © Ken Potter 2007
A double edge inscription on a 2007-P Adams dollar created by a Schuler Edge Lettering Machine.

See The Rest Of The Article In The June 7 Issue Of Coin World
(Note: you must be a current subscriber to CW to view this article online).
See An Sketch Of A Castaing Machine Here
See Gallery Mint Castaing Machine Dies And Punches Here

In The News ...
Rare Buffalo Nickels And Lincoln Cents
Lead Heritage Long Beach Event

Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions

    May 21, 2010 -- A dazzling array of Buffalo nickels and Lincoln cents from The Brenda John Collection anchor the upcoming Heritage Auctions U.S. Coin Auction, with floor sessions held June 3-4 in conjunction with the Long Beach Coin Expo in Long Beach, CA. With incredible rarities in incredible grades, no Buffalo nickel or Lincoln cent collector will want to miss this auction.
    Many famous varieties are represented in The Brenda John Collection. Among the Buffalo nickels is the dramatic 1916 Doubled Die Obverse graded an astounding MS64 by NGC. On this coin, the date is boldly doubled, so much so that many early descriptions called it the 1916/1916. But the variety was not discovered until well after its release, and the survival of Mint State coins is a matter of chance. This MS64 example is one of the 'best of the best.'
    Similarly important is a 1918/7-D nickel graded MS65 by NGC. Gem examples of this bold and popular overdate are extremely rare, and there are none in higher grades.
    Among the very popular Lincoln cents is an off-metal error, a 1944-D cent struck on a steel planchet from 1943 graded AU55 by NGC, with another rare and impressive selection being a 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse cent graded MS64 Red and Brown by PCGS.

See More Images Here

Recent Finds ...
Collector Finds 1983-P 50c w/Double Clash

Image courtesy of BJ Neff

May 15, 2010 -- Collector Aisha Shahid reports finding a 1983-P Kennedy half-dollar with nice strong double clash marks most prominent on the obverse and some lesser clash marks on the reverse. A die clash occurs when a planchet fails to enter into the striking chamber and the dies smash or clash into each other. The result is that if the clashing is hard enough, outlines of the design and other aberrations will be impressed into one die or the other or both to varying degrees of strength. The act of the dies clashing, can throw of the orientation of the dies a bit and if and when this occurs if a second clash occurs, it may be off set from the first clash as we see here.

See More Of The Photos & Overlays Here

Members Share ...
Truckin' Cherrypicker Finds Rare
1976-D DDO-001 Quarter!
by Lee C. Roschen
"The Truckin' Cherrypicker"

Image courtesy of James Wiles
Doubling of LIBERTY is very strong; shown above is the LI of LIBERTY.

Image courtesy of Lee Roschen
Lee Roschen holding his prized find.

May 08, 20010 -- Dear fellow CONECA members, while on my trucking travels, I always set aside every 1976-D Bicentennial quarter in hopes of getting lucky in spotting the elusive and rare Doubled Die Obverse (FS-25-1976D-101 in the Cherrypickers’ Guide, URS-6,17-32 copies known in all grades). Although I have been looking for this variety ever since I bought my first copy of the Cherrypicker’s Guide (3rd Edition) in 1995, I never expected to find one.
That all changed on Friday, January 15th, while I was waiting to get unloaded in South Dakota. A day earlier, I had stopped by a bank in Clayton, Wisconsin, hoping to score my usual $50.00 in half dollars to look through. They had none available, so I opted for $100.00 in quarters instead (What? You don't think I am going to take the time to park the truck and walk to and from a bank without obtaining some coin rolls through which to cherrypick, do you?).

See The Rest Of The Article

Members Share ...
U.S. Mint Implicates Migrating Atoms in Improper Annealing Errors
By Mike Diamond

March 17, 2010 -- For decades error collectors have puzzled over copper-nickel and Cu-Ni clad coins struck on planchets with a layer of copper on the surface. In times past, these errors were called "copper wash" and "sintered plating" errors. The 1962 nickel shown here is a typical example.
The copper wash hypothesis proposed that the planchets were being immersed in a chemical rinse saturated with copper ions. The copper ions were allegedly derived from previous batches of copper-alloy cents. The copper ions would attach themselves to the surface of the planchets, giving rise to the afore-mentioned copper veneer.

See Rest Of Story Here

1877/6 Overdate Discovered by Rick DeSanctis on 1877-CC
Type II F-107 and F-108 Liberty Seated Dime Varieties
by Gerry Fortin

March 17, 2010 -- During March 2010, I received an email from Rich DeSanctis, at Ft Myers, Florida dealer while staying at the Baltimore Harbor Days Inn and preparing for the Baltimore show Top 100 Varieties display. Rick’s email indicated that he had a mint state 1877-CC Type II F-108 Seated dime with date punch that was actually an overdate on an original 1876 die. A quick phone call to Rick ensued to investigate the possibility of a true overdate for the Liberty Seated dime denomination. Upon reaching Rick, he confirmed locating the top loop and knob of a 6 digit on the top surface of the crossbar of the second 7 date digit consistent with the 1877, 7 Over 6 Liberty Seated Half Dollar listed in Cherrypickers' Guide as FS-50-1877-301.

See Rest Of Story Here

In The News ...
Third Known 1992 'Close AM' Cent
Fetches Nearly $5000 in BM Auction

Image © Ken Potter / Coin courtesy of Kie Brown
This is a photo of the second specimen of the variety found that was graded by PCGS as MS62 RD last September

January 09, 2010 -- The third known specimen of a 1992 'Close AM' cent that I reported upon a few weeks ago (scroll down to see the article) has come up for auction and fetched $4830. It was graded by NGC as AU-55 RB and was auctioned by Bowers & Merena in their January 2010 Orlando Rarities Sale Session One as Auction # 13260 on January 5th.
Although this is the third specimen to come to light in recent years since the variety was first discovered in March 2006 by Parker Ogilvie, it is the first example to be put up for public sale.

See Auction Details Here

In The News ...
Potpourri Of Errors & Varieties Featured

    January 08, 2010 -- Of all the errors and varieties featured by Ken Potter last year in Numismatic News, arguably the most important, at least in terms of rarity and value, was a second known specimen of the elusive 1992 Philadelphia-Mint Lincoln cent struck with a “Close AM” (of AMERICA) design style reverse. This year I start out by informing readers that a third specimen has now been located.
    According to Potter "Back in the middle of September a Numismatic News reader from Connecticut sent me images of a specimen in an Numismatic Guaranty Corp. holder graded AU-55 RB. The variety, which has become almost mythological due to its rarity, is listed in Brian Allen and my book, Strike It Rich With Pocket Change, 2nd edition, (published by Krause Publications in 2008) with a possible value of $5,000 to $10,000+ for about uncirculated and uncirculated specimens, which I freely admit may be far lower than they are actually worth."
    Potter, also featured a number of other coins that came in during 2009 including a 2001 Silver Eagle with a fairly good size raised area on the obverse, a 'Ghost of Lincoln' cent, brockage errors and capped die strikes. He also examined an altered quarter dollar and an underweight Washington quarter. The complete story can be seen in the current issue of Numismatic News while a version stripped of most image can be seen at the below link.

See The Rest Of Story

Editor's Note ...
Why Your Submission May
Not Have Been Used Yet

September 5, 2009 -- For those of you who know me well, you know that my wife and I have had some difficult health issues that started over three years ago for me and her issues starting at about the time mine were getting better late last year. At this point in time I believe she has gotten past the most difficult hurtles and that things will begin running much smoother for both of us all around. If you have submitted something for this page in the past that I suggested I'd use and it hasn't shown up yet, (or at least not in the next week or two), please contact me to make sure it didn't fall between the cracks. Thanks! Ken Potter - CONECA Webmaster/Editor. Click here to send an email: conecawebmaster.

Oh, No It Ain't ...!! #35
Wrong Planchet or Acid Coin?

November 15, 2008 -- One of the most frequent questions that error-variety coin examiners receive revolves around what we call "acid coins." These are coins that for one reason or another were soaked in acid and as a result had their diameter, thickness and weight reduced. Many are less than half of their original weight yet because the acid erodes the surface somewhat evenly, many retain enough of their original design to be recognizable. They are often presented as great rarities that the finders are fairly certain represent some sort of off-metal or wrong-planchet error; a coin that was perhaps minted on a foreign planchet.

See The Rest Of Story

See More "Oh, No It Ain't...!" Columns

In The News ...
Finding Live Links for Dead Linked Stories

November 06, 2008 -- For those of you who enjoy reading the details to stories by clicking on the links found at the end of many "teasers" appearing on this page, you may have have noticed that all but the newest links that went to stories hosted by F+W Publications' Numismatic News website recently became "dead links." This is because F+W revamped the NN site a couple months ago or so. In doing so all the old stories were "lost" and the site started out fresh. On the other hand, the links that went to the same stories appearing on the Numismaster website (also managed by F+W) are still live. The problem is that many of our teasers only gave the link to the NN version of the story. The logic was that including two different links to the same story was redundant (though I am now including both). For some reason, the images for each site were processed differently. Those appearing on the NN site were usually superior so I often chose the NN version of the story to link to.
So what do you do if you want to read the rest of a story that originally appeared on the NN site and is now gone? Basically, you have to go to the Numismaster website at http://www.numismaster.com and then click on the News+Articles tab near the top of the page. This takes you to a page that lists some of the more important stories that currently appear in NN, World Coin News, Bank Note Reporter, Coins Prices and Coins Magazine. On that page you will find a "Quick Archive Search" box. Enter a few keywords for the story you want to read and it will bring up the story or a list of stories to choose from. For example, if you want to read all the stories I wrote on Adams dollar errors just type in "Ken Potter Adams Errors" and it will bring up a list containing all those stories. If you want to restrict your search to articles that I and anybody else may have wrote about "Gnarled Edges" just type in "Gnarled Edges." You can broaden or restrict your search as you see fit. So for now, at least until I can find the time to change over all the links, this is the best way I know of to find the rest of the story for many of the teaser stories that appear on our homepage and eventually get archived elsewhere. You can also find a lot of other interesting stories that I may have missed reviewing here!

In The News ...
Error-Variety Coins Reported Stolen

November 11, 2008 -- Joe and Jean Gallo of , A Variety Of Errors, reports that a number of error-variety coins were stolen from them. They were robbed Sunday night in Bessemer, Alabama returning from the Tennessee State Numismatic Society Coin and Currency Convention held in Chattanooga. They lost everything including, coins, lights, microscope, etc. One of the highlights was an AU-50 1969-S doubled die obverse Lincoln cent in a SEGS holder with serial number: 5090821189901034213. The Gallo's ask that dealers and collectors keep and eye out for any of these coins turning up in the market and report them to them. The list of stolen coins includes many that are in slabs with serial numbers that are noted on their list. The list may be accessed here: Stolen Coins. The Gallo's may be contacted by phone at: 985-768-0203 and by email at: avarietyoferrors@charter.net.

How To Get "Your" Story Told/Images Shared
by Ken Potter - CONECA Webmaster

November 05, 2005 -- If you have a story or just images to share you may have already tried sending them only to notice later that they never got posted. You probably wondered what happened. In actuality, there are a lot of good reasons for a story and/or images to NOT get posted on the web site but there are many things you can do to help get them up.

Let me backtrack just a bit to make note of the fact that this website is edited 100% on a voluntary basis. Thus, it is is updated on an "as time permits basis." However, the fact is, I simply do not have enough time to tend to my own affairs, (which includes administering my own website, filling orders and penning my columns/feature articles for Coin World, Numismatic News, World Coin News and Canadian Coin News), to add much more time to the CONECA site than I already am. What that means is the more complicated the information is that you send for me to edit the greater the chances are it will get pushed to the back burner or will get lost in the cracks.

I should also point out that many articles or images that needed extensive editing were on my old computer and are no longer assessable to me. In most cases they were stories that needed to have images worked in. Often the images were sent in formats that needed to be resized, edited or cropped to remove extraneous backgrounds. Some are sent in formats not suitable for the web and need to be converted from one format to another before they can be used. I have not found all formats easy or even possible for me to convert.

My suggestion is the make sure images are saved in standard formats used on most web sites. The CONECA website uses the jpeg format most and it is preferred. I also recommend cropping images to show the subject only. Images with large backgrounds need to be cropped by me to remove excess background so that the coin does not appear as a small dot lost in a sea of background after the image is resized to the format we use on the website. In general you can figure that we will show our images on the homepage at 500 pixels in width and on a feature page at 800 pixels wide. In effect send them cropped down to the subject with narrow borders for a background at 800 pixels in width and I will resize from there to fit the homepage. Additionally, please keep clutter out of the images.

The #1 reason for an image not getting used is the coin being shot in a 2x2 holder. Ugly staples and handwriting do not add eye appeal to a coin and are distracting. To make matters worse, the Mylar plastic in the window of a cardboard 2x2 or plastic of a flip often causes less than desirable reflections. These can sometimes be minimizes through some image editing but can never be eliminated completely and takes time to get to an acceptable level. I often set these to the side for processing later with the hopes I can find the time to rework the image(s) to remover the unsightly holders and/or reflections from view. Others images have less than desirable objects in the same view that need to be cropped or cloned out. All to often I just never get to images like this. If you take a half a second to remove the coin from the holder before shooting the image it will save me a lot of time editing and increase the odds that it will be usable. If you send your material at least almost ready to post the chances are much better I will get to it. If it has been awhile and you did not see your material posted you might consider resubmitting it. Things do get past me. I hope these suggestions help!

Commercial News ...
Crawford Announces Die Variety News

July 4, 2006 -- CONECA member, Billy Crawford announces that he has launched a new online newsletter dedicated to the study and advancement of variety coins. According to Crawford, "Die Variety News is a free, on-line bi-monthly newsletter devoted to updating collectors on varieties and errors for all denominations. Each issue will cover various die varieties such as doubled dies, re-punched mint marks (RPM's), over mint marks (OMM's), dual mint marks (DMM's) to name just a few. Special sections has been included reporting on a continuing "Educational Series," as well as "World Varieties" and "Mint Error" categories due to popular demand. With new and exciting discoveries being reported almost on a daily basis -- Die Variety News will keep you abreast of all the latest up-to-date information available. Die Variety News is in PDF file version which requires Adobe Reader© for viewing. If you do not have Adobe Reader©, a link for a free download is provided on the DVN home page." You can visit Die Variety News here: http://home.sc.rr.com/dievarieties/Die_Variety_News.html

Fred Weinberg Releases New List

March 11, 2005 -- Fred Weinberg writes: "We are proud to present our first Price List of 2005. All of the new coins (Over 225 new Certified Errors, and lots of new Raw coins) are listed right now on our website: http://www.fredweinberg.com/
Many of our customers like to download and print our 16-page Price list, find the coin(s) of interest, and then view the actual coin on our website.
Please note the “Raw Errors" attachment is for the first 6 pages of non-Certified Errors, U.S. Mint Defaced Dies, and misc. errors. These are listed on the website.

The "Certified Errors" attachment is for pages 7-16, containing only Certified Major Error Coins.
All of the new Certified Errors, plus our existing Certified inventory are scanned and pictured on our website for your convenience. All of the items under “U.S. Mint Medals and Errors” (on page 5) are also scanned and pictured on the website. All other “Raw” coins can be scanned upon request.
We have also added some great dramatic Currency Errors to our website under the Raw section of our Inventory page. Just click on “Currency Errors” to see the list and scans of them.
When ordering, please try to be as specific as possible as to which coin(s) you are interested in – Raw or Certified, Date, Denomination, short description, grade, and price.
You may call on toll free line (800) 338-6533 or email us with your orders. All items are subject to prior sale.

Fred Weinberg

Jim's Coins & Stamps Releases Mail Bid Auction Catalog

November 12, 2004 -- Jim's Coins & Stamps has released their fifth Major Mint Error Coin and Currency mail bid auction catalog. Issue#5 boasts new sharper images of many of the over 500 auction lots brought about by a new technology now being employed by the auctioneers. To get on the list for future mailings send $8 for six catalogs to Jim's C&S, Hillsdale Shopping Center, 702 N. Midvale Blvd. B-2, Madison, WI 53705 or see it on the Internet here: www.jimscoins.net. Addendum: Jim's continues to send new issues all of which have been great! We have not had time to update the image but otherwise all the above info is still current as it applies to the newer issues of Jim's catalogs.

To get news of your mint error and/or variety list/catalog in this section, send a brief write up on how to obtain it along with an image if desired. As long as we aware of the fact catalogs are continuously being issued we will leave the notice up , however, we will not change the dates or issue numbers or update images unless that information is specifically supplied to us for the website with a short press release (in other words, don't wait for us to write the release). Offer open to CONECA members only. Thank you!

New To The Web Site
Two-Headed Coins Unlucky For Some
by Ken Potter -- NLG

Above is an image of a so-called two-headed nickel
still sealed in the blister-pack card that it was marketed in.
Photo courtesy of Ken Potter

October 26, 2003 -- Without a doubt the most frequent question that we receive is about two-headed or two-tailed coins. There are occasional variations to the theme such as a Kennedy half dollar mated with a Mexican 20-centavos reverse or a Lincoln cent mated with a Roosevelt ten-cent reverse or a dime mated with a foreign coin reverse, etc., that are all related. What we say here will most often apply to them also ...

Read The Rest Of The Story

CONECA's Glossary Expanded!
Includes Color Images

    July 19, 2003 -- While the CONECA web site has offered a Glossary of Terms for several years -- it was unillustrated. However, all that is changing! If you go in and look now, you will see we are adding images in the form of links to many photos that we used on this web site in the past and many new ones. In fact -- most are new!
    This will be a work in progress so please come back and visit often to see what has been added. Also, your help in the form of images to illustrate the glossary is needed. At this point you will notice that the majority of images are of coins that your webmaster supplied! Your webmaster wants that to change! If you have high quality photographs of error and variety coins available (that you took or otherwise own the rights to), we encourage you to look through them and send some of your best shots.
    Do not be afraid of duplication. We are interested in showing more than one shot of most error types. For example we already have two images up to illustrate the curved clip error.
    Additionally, there will be some changes to the way the glossary is set up. As it is now, it is hard to find things. For example: if you are looking for a definition of curved clip you must scroll down to "single curved clip" to find it. That's not the way it should be! In the near future we will begin to reorganize and you will then be able to find "curved clip" under "curved clips" with the variations subcategorized under that main heading. We will also be adding in many popular terms that are not present at this time.
    Again, this will be a work in progress but as we see it -- we have the "guts" to best online error-variety coins glossary out there already -- and now it's just going to get better!
Sincerely yours,
Ken Potter
CONECA Board Seat #5 - Webmaster
Send images to: CONECA Website Images

Visit the Glossary

Interesting Coin Facts ...
Not All Silver Dated 1964
Was Struck In 1964!

Photo © Ken Potter 2005
This 1964 Curved Clip Dime Could Have Been Minted
Anytime Between Jan 1964 and April of 1966

While most collectors believe that 1964 was the last year that the United States Mints struck 90% silver coins for circulation -- 1966 was actually the last year of the 90% silver coinage output for circulation! Specifically, 1964 dated 90% silver coins were produced from January 1964 through April of 1966!

Free Classified Ads!

April 02, 2004 -- It Official! The CONECA BOD/Officers has approved free classified advertising as another club benefit of CONECA membership! To view the ads already up or to submit your ad click on the link below!

Click Here To View Or Place Ads

Celebrating Our 26th Anniversary!

1983 - 2010

CONECA was formed through a merger of CONE and NECA in early 1983. In what seems to have been such a short time -- we are now celebrating our 25th Anniversary! To learn more about the fascinating HISTORY OF THE ERROR HOBBY and THE HISTORY OF CONECA, we encourage you to visit those pages on our site! We thank everybody who has helped make CONECA the great success that it is today!

CONECA Webmaster Activity Report to Membership of 04/23/04

Persons with items of interest to the CONECA Web site or with questions relating to it may contact the webmaster, Ken Potter at: conecawebmaster

Since 03/24/07
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