The Collectors’ Auction
Featuring rare and collectible coins and currency to be auctioned November 4, beginning at 6pm cdt. at CoinX - Powered by Roundtable
Highlights
Lot Number
4) Large $20 1863 $20 Fr# 126b - PMG AU-53/minor restoration
14) Large $10 1901 $10 Bison Fr# 119 - PCGS GemCU-65
58) National Bank Notes $5.00 Cut sheet of six 1929 $5 Type 1 - Kansas, IL Charter #9293 - PMG ChCU EPQ
119) Kingdom of Macedon - 336-323 BC Alexander III stater- NGC XF 120) Kingdom of Macedon - 336-323 BC Alexander III stater - NGC Ch XF
126) Roman Empire - 45BC Julius Caesar aureus, Large Planchet ANACS MS-61
204) 2006 W 20th Anniversary 1oz American Gold Eagle three-coin set, NGC MS-70, PR-70 Ultra Cameo, and Reverse PR-70 260) G$2.50 1796 Stars PCGS AU details/cleaned
278) G$2.50 1911-D Strong D NGC MS-63
345) G$10 1891-CC/CC NGC MS-63
357) G$10 1904 NGC PR-64 CAMEO
361) G$10 1907 Indian No Motto NGC MS-65
372) G$10 1910-S PCGS MS-64
393) G$20 1873 Open 3 Doubled Die Obverse PCGS MS-63
399) G$20 1890-CC PCGS MS-62
418) G$20 1907 High Relief-Wire Rim PCGS MS-62
447) G$20 1930-S NGC MS-65
457) S$1 1803 Large 3 NGC AU-55
462) S$1 1867 PCGS PR-64DCAM CAC
559) S$1 1879-CC PCGS MS-63
585) S$1 1882 PCGS PR-66CAM
602) S$1 1884-S PCGS AU-58+ CAC
655) S$1 1893-S PCGS XF-45
656) S$1 1893-S NGC XF-45
658) S$1 1894-O PCGS MS-64+
662) S$1 1895 PCGS PR-62 CAC
757) 50C 1807 Large Stars, 50/20 O-111a Bearded Goddess NGC AU details/cleaned
763) 50C 1820/19, Square 2 O-101A NGC MS-62
793) 50C 1879 NGC MS-67
794) 50C 1886 PCGS MS-65
797) 50C 1904-S PCGS MS-63
824) 25C 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter PCGS MS-63FH (green label) 848) 10C 1916-D Mercury PCGS MS-65FB
884) 5C 1913 Type 2 PCGS PR-67 CAC
899) 5C 1925-S NGC MS-64+ CAC
914) 3CS 1863/2 PCGS PR-66CAM CAC
While there, I felt the engravers were playing a game to see whose piece could “wow” the “kid” the most. On the noisy press floor, I got to see the coins being made, a die being changed out, one being “cleaned” with an old rag, and I even got to carry around a planchet and several rejected pieces considered as scrap before returning them to another scrap bucket.
While this and other tours that followed helped me authenticate most of the common errors seen on submissions, we relied on the Mint authenticators at the lab for anything unusual. Unfortunately, that “crutch” caused me to be less concerned with learning more about error coins for myself. That’s why I don’t claim to be anything close to an expert on error coins. Nevertheless, I did learn to examine a coin to determine if it was something that could be produced in the normal process of making it or some “caprice of fantasy” intentionally made with the help of man.
One authentication tip I did learn to use at the time for many vintage coins that were double struck is to look for identical characteristics appearing on both coins. For example, if there was a die polish line on one part of the second off- center strike, that same line should appear in the same place on the original strike. When quad presses ( four obverse and reverse dies) came into use at the Mint, this tip was no longer universal because the original coin could be struck by a completely different die.
Puzzling over this aforementioned Kennedy half dollar, I arrived at a disturbing realization that something I had always taken for granted on commonly seen “pocket change errors” was not true. Up until now, whenever I saw a coin that was missing a part of its design that was not due to strike weakness or worn dies, I assumed it was a struck through error of some kind. These errors are fairly common on our coins. They can appear as small breaks in luster or depressions in many different shapes and patterns according to what type of debris got between the planchet and die when the coin was made. Fibers of various kinds and grease are the usual offenders. I had always considered coins with very large areas that were not fully struck ( Figure 1) to have been made with a grease- filled die. However, notice that this coin’s surface is lacking the usual smoothness of a fully struck coin or a strike through made with a viscous substance. The fact that many tiny hits that were present on its original planchet are still visible should have been a clue to me that this part of its surface never touched the dies or anything in between! Next, I decided to weigh the coin. Sure enough, it was underweight for a Mint State half dollar.
There is a big difference between an uncommon error coin struck on a planchet that is out of tolerance and a common one struck through some type of debris. It is the responsibility of a professional numismatist to know the difference. Thankfully, I caught this one and I will be more watchful for these errors in the future. That’s why I tell everyone that the numismatic learning curve never stops. Additionally, I can tell you it’s actually a good thing when every so often something you were sure of turns out to be different.
It keeps you very humble. ◆