I happened to notice some slabbed coins that look like waffles. They were something destroyed by the mint then slabbed by I beleive NGC. They were listed as Uncirculated on the slab though I can't recall the exact terminology. Any info would be apprieciated. Lack
Brilliant Uncirculated Waffle Canceled The statehood quarters could be identified by year, but say Kennedy half dollars could not, so the year was not listed. There was enough design element left on the coin to determine statehood and release date.
This one was given to me as a gift, so I really can't tell you the reason for mutilating the die other than the possibility that it was being taken out of service at the end of the production run. Chris
The waffle coins were never in circulation. There was a problem with then and they were destroyed by the mint, some how they are not getting melted. Image from variety vista:
When the mint finds a problem on a coin and rejects it they run it trough the "waffler" to "cancel" it and render it into a non-legal tender piece of scrap metal. In the past these rejected coins were not waffled and when they were shipped back to the coinage strip manufacturers for recycling they had to be accompanied by armed mint police for security because they were still legal tender and the security would have to remain until such time and the coins were melted down. Now with waffling they are just scrap metal and the security measures are no longer needed. This results in a big savings for the Mint. Now this scrap metal is offered for sal by the mint and it is usually purchased by the strip manufacturerers but it can be purchased by other metal recylers as well. Once it is purchased and they take possession of the scrap it belongs to them and they can do what ever they want with it. In some cases people have bought some of these waffled coins, they have had the coins slabbed and they offer them for sale. Now you know about waffled coins And before you think about making your own, the company that manufactures the waffler provides a different "crush pattern" to each purchaser so it would be possible to determine whether or not a coin was actually waffled by the mint or by someone else.
Thanks Condor, As far as making some, I can't even make a decent real waffle. I was just curious how these came about. Seems odd that the mint lets these out to be certified. I guess its similar to the shredded paper currency from the BEP> Lack
Thanks Conder, I always wondered how this happened and I think this is by far the best explantion that I have ever read. Even someone who is not into numismatics would be able to understand what you said and that is normally what it takes for me to get it. :goofer:
i have many waffle coins mostly minted d now and then i get s check it out http://stores.ebay.com/inahut/WAFFL...2482713016&_sid=7998876&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322