I know many of you have seen and are familiar with "Wrong Planchet" errors. Specifically, this is when a planchet for one denomination (a cent) somehow managed to become mixed in with planchets for a different denomination (a nickel) and was then struck by a different denomination's dies. Below are two coins I have - a nickel and a quarter - that were struck on copper/bronze cent planchets. However, wrong denominations on zinc cent planchets are incredibly more scarce than those on copper cent planchets. Below is a new acquisition I will be receiving soon which is a Jefferson nickel struck on a zinc cent planchet. Zinc blanks are no longer punched out of metal sheets at the Mint but are instead produced at Jardens Zinc Products in Tennessee; they also upset the rim there, in addition to being electroplated with a thin layer of copper, and are then shipped to the Mint to be struck. Despite billions of cents being produced each year, these error types on zinc planchets are very, very scarce. In fact, I can't even find a record of one being sold on Heritage Auctions, Great Collections, or eBay. From what I heard, there are fewer than 20 examples and are all from the same year - 1995.
hello, reguarding the rainbow effect; how did u acquire them ? a roll ect...... go to contests rainbow effect experemint, still in progress.
wow! those 2 are super cool. I am wondering what the value of each of these coins are ? If you can not say.... I will understand.
Well, as a rule of thumb, I don't usually say what I personally paid for a coin. The reason is many dealers have been very generous by giving me a nice discount, and it puts them in a bad position if someone finds out they gave me a 15-25% discount (or below recent auctions in similar grades/condition/error type) but offered them significantly less - or no discount - for a similar coin and grade. I do not think it is rude to ask (I ask people all the time!), but some do. Anyway, for the Nickel, it is an MS65RB (I have seen only a few others that are MS65; most are 64s or lower). Also, though most people love RD color for non-error cents, I find many like the RBs more for this error type as the colors tend to be more fantastic with hints of blue in them, as this one does. It also has a full, complete, and very crisp date. As for value, I always go by recent auctions of similar items. I put it at around $300. The quarter is also an MS65RB. Also has a very sharp and crisp date. With quarters on cents, because the die is so much bigger than the planchet, details are always going to be missing way more than for a nickel. Also has hints of blue on both sides. As for value, I put it at around $950.
I acquired it when I saw it listed on a website. I did my research on the error type, what they auctioned for recently, and saw it was nicer than most in the grade that were sold previously. I explained I am not a dealer who is going to flip it, that I do not sell my coins, and he felt comfortable offering it to me for what I asked for. I have never found an error coin worth over $25 in my entire lifetime in my change nor anyone else's who let me look through their hoards of coins. The fact that someone finds them in circulation is a miracle. I am convinced a significant portion of Mint state errors of any significance only surface because someone at the Mint acquired them inside the building and walked out the door to a dealer or sent them to a grading company.
Correction: I was just told by Jon Sullivan that he meant to say there are only a few known - not around 20.
I have been trying to visit his website for a few days now. It requires a password to get in. Do you know anything about that? Can't view his inventory!
I do. Talked with him the night it happened. Because of much higher traffic, it crashed and he is reformatting the site to accomodate more action he has received. I hope I had something to do with it as I refer lots of people at shows to both Fred and Jon!
On the quarter for example, is the weight the same as a cent, and, does it spread out a little bit on the strike? Is it a little larger (and thinner) in diameter than a cent? I notice on the obverse the full date is above the rim (slightly compacted). I would think it might get cut since the cent is so much smaller. Great error coins.
Thinner and the same weight as a cent as it is a cent planchet after all. As far as what features show up (some have full dates, some partial, some none at all), that depends on the position of the much smaller planchet inside the quarter collar. Part of it will also have reeding, too ( in some cases)!
