For my 200th post on CoinTalk, I wanted to discuss questions about whether something is an error or not. When you post a picture of the coin, please circle the error using a photo editor! Or, indicate it in any other way possible. It would be very helpful to members of CT wanting to help you determine a coin's value. I appreciate everyone who posts a close up picture of the suspect error, or describes it, but, I believe that it would save numismatists at CoinTalk a lot of time when they don't have to guess where one sees the error. "Circling it" like this, for example. Also, if someone has provided a helpful answer to your question, feel free to "like" their post to show that you value their help.
These new members cant even use google for research, what makes you think they can draw circles on their out of focus pictures lol.
Well, maybe it's a bit far-fetched, but it would be nice if new members were clear about what they perceive to be an error.
Apologies still learning! Trying to read as many threads as I can to keep up. You all do a great job of answering as many questions as you can! Thank you! Very much appreciated.
evan 8 sorry you have such a low thoughts of new comers . but ill have you know some of us research a lot this is a very hard and completed hobby I have coins that look exactly like the pictures on line or even in the red book but when posted on here people that are experts point out the fine details I havnt learned yet . but you are right I will have to learn to draw circles .guess where I learned I needed them ?
While it's possible that someone may not know how to use some of the tools available to them in their image processing (Heck, I'm not the brightest star in the universe, either!) I think it is just as easy for someone to try to describe what they see even if they don't already know what the anomaly may be called in numismatic terms. It can be exasperating for some of us when someone posts an image in the "Error" forum with, say, just a title like "1956D Penny" and no further information about what they perceive as the error in question. I'm sure that many of the veterans to these forums have their own little "pet peeves". My "favorites" are the person who posts a dozen or more of the same image (One will do, thank you!) or someone who posts a poorly-focused, teeny-tiny image and expects us to make heads or tails of an enlargement. As veterans who have "paid our dues", we have to learn to get over it and try to help the newcomers, no matter how exasperating it makes us. However, what is more irritating than anything to many of the long-time members is probably the newcomer who supposedly comes here seeking information, but chooses to argue when he/she doesn't get the answer that suits them. I have no sympathy for them, at all, when efforts to convince them otherwise fail. Chris
Many times there are no errors.. and I know this after my 20,000+ posts! I just like making them work and try to figure it out. By the way... many new members will not see this thread nor care about it. All are in their own little world dreaming about "Does it have any value?" so leave it alone .. I think it s far fetched but good try.
Just an FYI. I moved this thread here because its original location, General Discussion, is an opt in only forum section. What that means is that the only way a member can even see the threads/posts in the General Discussion section is by opting in to that section. They have to specifically select a setting so they can read it. Point being, a lot of members, particularly new members, are not aware of that - so they never see it to begin with. Thus a post like this, well, it wouldn't do most new members a lot of good if they can't see it. Secondary point, the General Discussion section is specifically for posting about stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with coins or this forum.
Thanks for posting this, Doug! It's something I never knew...…..or maybe I just forgot about it in my old age. Unfortunately, it is too late for the "reminder" I posted in the GD forum about Lordmarcovan's latest contest. Had I known, I would have posted it in Coin Chat as well. Chris
Hmm. Tell you what. Put yourself in the place of someone looking at that cent, someone who's heard talk of "valuable error coins", but hasn't had any other exposure to the hobby. Now go and Google "penny error memorial". Tell us what you see on your first page of results. (Spoiler: the top row of images is dominated by Etsy, and the most prominent links below are dominated by YouTube...)
Jeff I would add that Google is what often brings them here to begin with. Even when I'm trying to look something up about coins using Google, CT figures fairly prominently in the links shown as results. All by itself that's often enough reason to cause people to come here and ask their questions. And Evan, I understand what you're saying too - people should use the various search engines to look things up for themselves. And I've suggested that to many of them myself. The problem however is that they rarely even know what to search for. And unless that already know a good bit about coins, what they find is often useless to them because they don't understand it. And, much of what they find is completely inaccurate to begin with.
I think any help that a member puts out for new comers is great. Good job @ Legomaster1 for pointing out some issues to help new comer like myself along . I know there are many with the hopes of finding the holy grail and becoming rich off of an error coin. I think it is fantastic that you took time to post helpful info to those that seem to irritate a lot of members . These new people need to be given info , and direction just like you have done. thank you for your post . Dillan
Despite the fact that some of them are trolls, let’s remember that new members could very well be the future of this hobby. I get as frustrated as anyone with the trolls, but I think we tend to paint every new member with the same broad brush at times.
A lot of these people don’t care about why something is not an error. They think it is just a crap shoot whether or not something is an error
You actually make a very good point. I guess I look at it this way, I started collecting at 7 years old. I was going to shows around 12. I started buying online at 16. I bought a ton of books. I looked at thousands of wheat cents and learned how to VAM dollars. VAMing taught me more about how coins are made than anything. It taught me about dies and how they wear over time. A highschool kid, at the time, learned the basics of the minting process and what varieties vs errors vs damage was. Then i started using the internet to hone my knowledge and learn more advanced things about coins. I own coins under evey major category there is now. I dont know crap about photography. I use an old point and shoot nikon in macro for coin pictures. They arent the best, but heck atleast you can see the coin. And then transfering those pictures to my phone or tablet and doing my editing from there. My point is that I dont just sit around hoping for strangers on the internet to solve my problems for me. Im just going to go figure it out on my own. A little reading and a little common sense, and you can do anything. If lacking either one of those abilties then people are going to have a very hard time in life.
I was recommended to come on here and talk to you all about my coins because the dealers are not interested in answering questions all the time. You all are our therapy for coins. Lol the input we need when we tried the internet. Also where I live in Canada most dealers do not know a lot about American coins. They just go by the book. Thank you again!
One year later- I see this thread! Lol! And one year later- I still can’t figure out a doubled die! I really do appreciate all your help though!
Nothing spells "Click Bait" like thread titles: "What's going on with this?' "Can someone tell me how this happened?" etc.
