100% Unique Coins

I have noticed there seems to be a number of error/variety coins for virtually every date of every denomination. This makes sense because if there's 275,964 gazillion copies, there's no way they can all be perfect. In fact, in my slowly progressing education I think there's probably something at least minor wrong with the vast majority of each one I look at under the microscope. It may only be the collar is 1/64th of an inch off, but some of you guys can spot these things taped on the front gate from Jed Clampett's porch. My question is can there be an error coin that's truly one of a kind? If there's a die crack, I suspect there's likely to be a bunch escape into the wild before whatever quality control they have at the mint notices it and stops the presses. When I'm scrutinizing all the coins I have time for, I find collar goobers on as much as 25-50% of certain year coins, especially modern cents, so that makes it a conversation piece, but it's not too special unless you're a collector in search of that singular error.

I have found my greatest interest is falling on two things. First, high grade coins and second, errors and maybe varieties. I see things I can research for a week some afternoon and never find any mention of it anywhere. Some of these I can accept as pareidolia, but others I can make a lot of money betting there's something really there. So, for example, can just one dime out of millions have an entirely unique die problem, doubling, clad, tone, cud, off center strike, broadstrike, wrong planchette, etc.? Which reminds me: how in the world can they ever strike two different mint marks? Did someone not notice "Hey, look at this! Someone in Denver sent us some stuph to print over!! I'll try to make our mint mark invisible for those."

Regardless, how do I determine which ones are more sensible to hold onto and which ones can I throw out in the field so an archeologist can find it 2,000 years from now (hopefully one of my descendents-or yours, but not an obnoxious miscreant who's only in it for the money) and get rich and famous?

I've had to admit, however, I need to add to our household income (sell coins) as well as collect. I'm just not being too successful at understanding the framework for this concept.

I do want to add, I think the detail and quality of the coins as designed is absolutely incredible. I looked at Eisenhower's pupils for hours. The intricacy of some state, territorial, America the beautiful quarters, the reverse on Roosevelt dimes, and any proof coin is something I never realized before I started studying the art.

Anyway, if I didn't butcher my questions I would appreciate any and all assistance.

 

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Coins are struck/minted, Dies are punched.. No printing used in any way.

 

Yes.

Two well know Mint Error Specialists wrote the following books which show many unique mint errors.

First book -
Fred Weinberg


Second book -
Mike Byers

 

Sorry but coins are not going to help with income. Sure, you might find something from time to time that helps but it's not something that you can depend on.
You can make money as a coin dealer but it is more work than most folks are willing to do.

 

Sam - thoughtful post. There is tons to learn and explore, most of it won’t make you rich or appreciably richer. But you will catch an occasional valuable coin of $50 or more. Depending on your attachment, you’ll either realize the cash benefit or not. But if you do sell, create a photo collection.

 

Sorry. I was afraid I had some terminology wrong and I'm pretty sure you told me that already. I'll put this in the folder I'm making to remind me.

Thanks for pointing it out.

 

Thank you again. Will see what I can do with that. As always, you're a good man and I appreciate your patience.

 

I'm basically a shut in and this has become so fascinating to me that when I have healthy days I can spend hours looking at all the detail on just one or two coins. I understand I will not replace the income we lost when I became disabled, but tiny trickles of a few dollars here and there makes more difference to us than the average village idiot. Looking so closely, I see discrepancies from one coin to the next and if I find one out of hundreds that can help, well there's not much else I can do with my time and contribute to family funds.

I received a ton of great advice on taking pictures correctly, and started a "collection" of photos with some unique things I see. There are some things I think are either common and I need to know or, things even I can tell are artificially created after the fact. I think.

I probably will never be able to match wits with any of you but I may find something someday I can pass on to you guys as my way of giving back. BTW, I've said this before but it bears repeating. This hobby and specifically this forum has given my brane a much-needed "jump start" and my battle with the aftermath of my illness is actually turning around a bit in a positive direction.

Thanks for your thoughtfulness.

 

I was just mentioning my photo collection in another reply. I had to wait a while until we could afford something to take better pics with and I am now developing the collection in a manner I can work with but might not make sense to sane people.

Concerning making money (that is an unfortunate phrase when discussing numismatics), in my situation I would be blessed to find an occasional coin I can make a dollar or two with. The curiosities I find that aren't worth anything to anyone else I can recycle at the bank or where my wife works, or keep it for my own collection of oddities if we can afford it.

I want to say something about one of the greatest attributes of coin collecting. The "use it or lose it" proposition is more accurate than most folks realize in regards to our branes. I've spent several years unwillingly but aware I was slipping, but it wasn't until I started this hobby I have undeniably been able to slow it down. I have learned and enjoyed it so much I'm determined to not just stop that backwards slide, but turn it around--against many doctor's prognosis. Whether that actually happens or not, I can and will be an advocate for numismatics and this forum. The public at large has no idea what they're missing out on.

Thank you again, especially for letting me ramble. Again.

 

Geez I talk too much!

 

Where is the best place to post photos of coins I have come across that I need to ask questions about? I think I've made a habit of picking the wrong forum and I don't want to irritate anyone more than I already do.

Thanks.

 

If you think it may be an error coin, post it on this forum. If it's something different, just pick one that seem proper. The heck with those that want to correct you over nothing. If it's a problem the mods will move it to the proper forum.

 

What a great guy!! I'll pick a few and try it out tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

Take a clear, cropped pics of the entire front and back along with the area in question. In most cases, you don't need to have more then 3-4 good pics. If the pics look blurry and bad to you, the will look bad on here so don't post them.

Also, it works best , IMO, to only post one coin per thread. And don't bomb the site with a lot of posts in one day.

Hope this helps

 

Helps a lot. Thanks. Would it be appropriate to have several posts up at the same time? I've put a lot of effort in congregating several questions/observations and would like to know more about these things.

Thanks for your recommendation.

 

Forgot to ask. My laptop is schizophrenic and only works when it's not depressed. I think it's having the equivalent of a laptop's midlife crisis and my stoopid fone seems to have the Chromovirus. Without a reliable laptop I do almost everything on my fone (when it feels like it) because it at least wants to be loved. Does anyone know of an android app that crops photos in circles around coins and lets me place obverse and reverse pics side by side?

Which reminds me: do you know how to really turn on a computer? Have your wife gently rub the case and say in her sexiest voice, "Heeeyyy, Mr. Computer."

 

This is much more important for you and family than a few dollars from coins. Stay in contact with local aid groups and any support groups that you can qualify for, including food, clothing, and perhaps some financial aid and take it.

IMO, Jim

 

@Sam Stone, I use Remove Background (https://www.remove.bg/upload) to eliminate all but the coin. I'm not sure about an app that puts them side by side as most of them are for Window and Androids and I use a Mac. Just Google it and I'm sure several will come up.
PS, not to be rude but the 31 years of being a teacher comes out once in awhile, Phone not fone, Brain not brane. Not to be too nosy but what is your disability, if you don't mind letting us know? I taught disabled adults for a few years and then Special Ed, so I'm just curious.

Come back often and share your coins and thoughts with us.

 

Very thoughtful and of course appreciated. If I'm totally honest with myself I know I still have to overcome that tiny bit of ego I've been clinging to. Plus, my wife makes just enough money to disqualify us from any meaningful financial support but certainly not enough to maintain our previous life style. Our number one priority is to hold onto the house we built 18 years ago. It's the only home our son remembers. We have learned how to better prioritize needs vs wants and believe it or not, we're probably as happy as when I was still able to work. Overall stress is likely the same level, we just switched some if the old ones for new ones. Lastly, by now you must have seen the stubborn streak I have and I am determined to get back into the workforce. I'm a terrible employee, so I will have to build a smaller company than we had before of some sort, or I may return to ministry or music. I haven't been exaggerating at all when I keep saying that collecting has provided me with a formidable challenge and I enjoy it enough I have been able to apply myself more than I have in years. I know a lot of people who would probably get hooked on it as well if they just looked at it. You guys have admirable and necessary skill sets such as a greater than average intellect, organizational skills, patience, scrutiny, discernment, and much more. The greatest of these is charity and I see an overabundance of that in everyone's willingness to share their knowledge. For me, I believe if I follow the path God has paid out in front of me, I can learn and grow as I have been through this forum. Most importantly, as long as I give all that is required of me, He has promised over and over in the Bible that we will be ok. I'm not trying to preach or push anyone into Christianity. These are my beliefs, and as such I continue to see obvious signs that finding the interest in collecting and coming to this forum was and is a gift. I can enjoy more if life, strengthen my faith and resolve, and learn to be a better person watching you guys.

Once again, I talk too much, but this too is an indication I am improving. Thanks to you guys. And thanks again for your concern. I will respect it. You may have helped me cross that line I mentioned about letting go of pride. All thanks to Cointalk and the great people here.

 

Thanks for the thoughts. Actually, most of my spelling is intentional. My friends call it 'sam'antics instead if semantics.i even went into the settings on my fone (sorry) disabled souel czech, and added a bunch of words it didn't like. For example, sometimes I misunderinterpretate what someone is trying to explain. I have multiple college degrees, but had a stroke several years ago that landed me on disability. With my wonderful wife and an incredible staff we built the first if its kind specialty hospice care to render in home critical care in a patient's last few hours as opposed to the general hospice mandate of up to six months. At our peak we had a staff if slightly more than 1,000 staff members in multiple states. However, I made enemies all through Congress and the government and had to fight them every step of the way because 24 hour around the clock continuous care is substantially more expensive than a one hour visit every two or three days. Within a month after getting legislation passed (in the end they literally used my exact verbiage in the rules and regulations), they accused me of IRS violations and summarily closed us down. I had and still have indisputable proof that I was far above the standards they required and had even asked them for more legislation because I knew the competitors I had created were not operating ethically morally, or legally. They sued me twice before closing us down and both times the judge threw their accusations out and made them pay my legal bills without having to actually go to court. After the bill was signed, they came at me again and seized all if our assets, up to and including our son's college fund. We found plenty of attorneys willing to defend us, but none of them would do it without huge funds in advance. I was even told off the record by an IRS ombudsman this was their standard MOI, and as far as he knew they never won a court case like mine. The catch is that the government has to agree to let you sue them and if they lose they also get to decide if they want to pay the settlement Since they had all our money, it was impossible to fight back. So I had a nervous break that lead to a stroke and here I am.

I know that's more than you expected, but there's still something else I consider even more unconscionable. They closed our bank accounts on payday the week of Christmas, 2012, and all our staff's checks were bouncing. I called the guy who instigated it all and when it was clear he wasn't going to change his mind I asked him if he had kids. He said he did do then I asked him what all our staff was supposed to tell our kids when there wasn't any money for Christmas presents. Here's the unforgivable quote he gave me. 'I don't care."

My wife was awesome They couldn't find all the receivables we could collect do she agreed to help me go and explain what happened to all our clients and ask for immediate payment do we could pay our staff before Christmas. Every one of them we could contact paid do we was able to give our caregivers 5heur Christmas money. There was literally less 5hsn $100 left for my family, but we agreed it was the right thing. Before January 2013 was over I had my mental break and we're not sure when I had the stroke. It could have even been early that month. We just know it happened.

I am so sorry to take so much of your time, and it doesn't have a lot to do with collecting other than my path eventually brought me here. If there was a shorter answer, I haven't found it yet. Plus, since I'm so long winded and certified mentally deficient, no one can make me go back and spell check if I wanted to

Thanks again for the suggestion and concern. I appreciate friendship and solid relationships far more than sympathy or money and you've given me part of that. I always like to say it, because I mean it, I am genuinely grateful.