PART V. Planchet Errors

Blanking and Cutting Errors:

Ragged clips:

Definition: A coin with a ragged clip has its circular outline interrupted by a very irregular edge.  Ragged clips are traditionally thought to be derived from the unfinished leading or trailing end of the coin metal strip.  While these ends are supposed to be trimmed, this step can be accidentally (or intentionally) skipped.

While ragged clips are sometimes referred to as “end of sheet” or “end of strip” clips, this same area is also a likely source for straight clips (see Straight Clip).  Therefore the term “ragged clip” is preferred.

Ragged clips can also be derived from the middle of the strip.  As the strip is rolled out, ragged fissures sometimes develop. If a blanking die slices through such a fissure, the resulting blank will have a ragged clip indistinguishable from one derived from the ends of the strip.

The shape of a ragged clip is highly variable.  Many are straight, some form “ragged notches” and some turn into “ragged fissures”.

The edge texture of a ragged clip is invariably rough and shows some graininess

Ragged clips are sometimes confused with broken coin and broken planchet errors.

The three images below are a 1985 Indian 25 paise struck off-center with a ragged clip planchet. The lower image isan oblique angle of the grainy edge of the ragged clip.

Die Damage: 

Die scrapes

Definition: Die scrapes are a form of die damage generally caused by the feeder/ejector scraping across the die face. While the anvil die is most commonly affected, die scrapes can appear on the hammer die or both dies simultaneously. Die scrapes appear on the coin as closely-spaced parallel ridges. Die scrapes can also be caused by other mishaps involving unidentified moving parts.

The image to the below left shows die scrapes (indicated by white arrows) on the reverse die of a 1994-P Lincoln cent.

The image to the above right shows die scrapes on a 1997-P Washington quarter. The strongest damage can be seen under the eagle’s right wing. Notice that the orientation of this die scrapes is from WNW to ESE.

The 2012-P Jefferson nickel pictured above shows die scrapes to the bottom left of Monticello’s dome and also beneath that building. Notice that these die scrapes are in the same WNW to ESE direction as the die scrapes seen on the 1997-P Washington quarter seen above.

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PART VI. Striking Errors:

Weak (Low Pressure) Strikes

Definition: A weak strike results from two proximate causes, inadequate ram pressure or insufficient die approximation (excessive minimum die clearance). Ram pressure is the tonnage applied to a planchet of normal thickness. Insufficient die approximation refers to the minimum approach the dies make to each other in the absence of a planchet.  In many cases it is difficult or impossible to assign proximate cause.  However, when a weak strike is accompanied by another error, or a weak strike progression can be assembled, the most common proximate cause appears to be insufficient die approximation.  The dies simply don’t approach each other closely enough to leave a strong impression.

Ultimate cause is virtually impossible to determine.  A weak strike could be due to a loose or cracked press frame, a loose or broken knuckle joint, a mistimed anvil or hammer die, a broken cam associated with either die, a jam-up in the guts of the press, a jam-up associated with an adjacent die pair, a broken circuit breaker, or simply dies that have fallen out of adjustment.  A weakly struck coin could also be a test piece, otherwise known as a “die adjustment strike” or a “die trial”.  Many weak strikes are labeled as such.  But unless you were there the moment it was struck, there is no way to know.  Therefore the terms “die trial”, “die adjustment strike”, “test piece”, and “set-up piece” should be abandoned.

Most, if not all weak strikes available in the marketplace appear to be the result of spontaneous equipment malfunction.  The evidence for this is abundant and manifold.

1. These errors are far too abundant to represent escapees from a test run.  Test strikes are supposed to be set aside and consigned to the furnace for melting.  You wouldn’t expect many coins to escape this fate.
2. If these were test pieces, then you’d expect the greatest number of weak strikes to involve the denomination that is produced in greatest abundance – cents.  However, weak strikes occur most frequently in dimes.  That’s what you’d expect of weakness caused by spontaneous equipment malfunction.  Dies that strike thin planchets have a very narrowly constrained minimum die clearance.  If the clearance grows just a little bit, the strike will be weak.  If the clearance shrinks even slightly, the dies are likely to clash.  Thicker denominations have a much more generous clearance range.  It is among these denominations that you’d expect to find fewer weak strikes, and this is indeed the case.
3. Weak strikes can be found in association with a wide range of errors – double strikes, triple strikes, saddle strikes, misaligned die errors, clashed dies, indents, partial brockages, full brockages, struck-through errors, etc.  Given how rare escaped test pieces are projected to be, multi-error test pieces should be as rare as unicorns.
4. On multi-struck coins, a weak strike can immediately follow a strong strike and a strong strike can immediately follow a weak strike.  Such rapid changes in die clearance (or ram pressure) would not be expected in a test run.
5. Weak strike progressions can move in either direction – from weak to strong or from strong to weak.  Such a progression can also show an erratic pattern of strengthening and weakening.  That’s not what you’d expect of a test run.
6. On saddle strikes, one off-center strike can be strong and the other weak.  With respect to saddle strikes on previously-struck coins, the first strike can be weak while the two off-center strikes can be strong.  The reverse situation has also been recorded.  A weak first strike can then receive a saddle strike in which one of the off-center strikes is weak and the other is strong.  None of these patterns is consistent with a test run scenario.

Weak strikes are sometimes confused with grease strikes – coins that are struck through a heavy layer of compacted die fill.  It’s actually quite easy to tell the two errors apart.

1. A weak strike will show a poorly developed or absent design rim.  A grease strike will show a very well-developed design rim.
2. A weak strike will retain some, most, or all of the planchet’s original proto-rim.  The proto-rim is erased in a grease strike.
3. A weak strike will retain the beveled rim/edge junction of the  planchet.  The bevel will be lost in a grease strike.
4. The edge will be weakly struck and relatively narrow in a weak strike.  The edge will be tall and vertical in a grease strike.
5. Reeding will be weak or absent in a weak strike.  Reeding will be very strong in a grease strike.
6. In a weak strike, extent and pattern of weakness will be essentially the same on both faces.  Uneven weakness is a hallmark of most grease strikes.

The photo below shows a weakly-struck 2007 Montana quarter.  It was struck on a Schuler press, a model that doesn’t even require ram pressure and die clearance to be adjusted by means of a test run.  The design rim is fairly well formed because state quarter dies have a relatively flat die face (very little die convexity).

Images are courtesy of Heritage Auctions

PART IV. Die Errors:

Die Deterioration / Deformation: 

Well-defined rings on Euro coins

Raised rings with varying degrees of completeness are often found on zinc cents just inside the design rim, and these are universally recognized as manifestations of die deterioration. Die deformation rings are sometimes found on other U.S. denominations. At first the rings  on this Euro coin seem too complete, too sharply defined, too uniform, too narrow, and display too high a relief to represent die deformation. The fact that an identical ring is present on both faces seems to further undermine the die deterioration scenario. Inside the rings there are no signs of conventional die deterioration (e.g., radial flow lines; orange peel texture).

Still, there seems to be no other explanation other than die deterioration.  The design continues on top of the ring, which would be consistent with die deterioration.  Similar rings have been found in coins from Thailand.

Obverse and reverse of the ringed and normal version 10 cent Italian Euro coin.

Close-up of the southwest quadrant of the reverse face of the ringed Euro coin.

Close-up of the southwest quadrant of the reverse face of the normal coin.

Part IV. Die Errors:

Collar Manufacturing Errors:

Wide Collar

Definition:  A coin struck inside a collar whose diameter is wider than normal.  This rare error is subtle and is often only detected when an otherwise normal-looking coin gets stuck in a plastic storage tube or won’t fit in its designated hole inside a cardboard Dansco album.

An abnormally wide collar can arise in several ways:

This 1918 cent was struck in a collar that expanded due to the presence of four vertical collar cracks.  Its diameter
measures 19.45 mm instead of the normal 19.05 mm.

PART II. Die Varieties:

Misspelling on working dies

Definition: A word or words that were misspelled when placed into the working die. Spelling errors are primarily restricted to early 19th century coins, where much of the peripheral design was punched-in or engraved into each working die.  These are errors in translating the intended design to the working die.

PART V: Planchet Errors:

Wrong Planchet and Off Metal Errors

Definition: A wrong planchet error is exactly what the name indicates – a coin struck on a planchet intended for another denomination (domestic or foreign).  The incorrect planchet may have the same composition (e.g. a quarter struck on a dime planchet) or it may be a different composition (e.g., a quarter struck on a nickel planchet).

An off-metal error is a coin struck on a planchet whose composition does not match the composition that normally characterizes the coin.  While off-metal errors can be wrong planchet errors, this is not always the case.  For example, a dime struck on a copper core is off-metal but is not really a wrong planchet.

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A Sacagawea planchet somehow found its way into the coin press that was striking  1999-P Susan B. Anthony dollars.

This coin is comes to us courtesy of Mark Lighterman

Images were taken through an encapsulation.

Part V: Planchet Errors:

Wrong Stock:

Off-Metal

Photos courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

PART II. Die Varieties:

Wrong Date:

Date Later Than Final Issue:

1913 Liberty Head nickel

Definition: A coin carrying a date later than the last official date for the issue.