Here's a noob question I ain't figured out from any of the threads I've read: When a coin obverse is facing you right-side-up, and in order to view the reverse the same way, you turn the coin left to right: What is that orientation called? And then the other option (flip it top to bottom) must have a similar orientation reference, eh? S'truth: I've been bothered by this for several years, and have looked closely for a hint in these many pages...without success. I'll accept that I've missed obvious references, and should be ashamed to bring such a juvenile query before this August Body...but I gotta know, and am, as usual, without shame when it suits me. Thanks.
In most countries there is no difference these days between the orientation of the two sides of a note/bill and of a coin. The US is one of the very few left that treats the two differently. What you call "coin" orientation/alignment is inverse alignment while the "medal" orientation is parallel alignment. Or, with symbols, use ↑↑ and ↑↓ ... Christian
He's talking about a mistake being made when the coin is struck, a rotation error. A rotation occurs error when the obv and rev dies are not aligned correctly in the coin press. For example, with US coins 12 o'clock on the obv should always align with 6 o'clock on the rev. But if say 12 aligns with 3, or 9, or any other number but 6, then that is a rotation error. 12 aligning with 12, would be a rotation error of 180 degrees. Now rotation errors of 15 degrees or less are fairly common and generally not worth mentioning. But if a coin has a rotation error of say 30 degrees or more, then that attracts the attention of error collectors. And sometimes it can add a small premium to the value of the coin.
Ah HA! Another wee light goes on in me head! All systems ain't necessarily GO, but the glimmer at th' end o' th' tunnel no longer seems a locomotive rushin' my way. Thanks, Doug, for that very concise and understandable description.
