This is an absolutely stunning off-center, natural, 100+ year-old coin. Full date, all of Lincoln's face, lots of the planchet showing, and incredible details with a nice strike, and moreso on the reverse. And an AMAZING, even color on both sides. However, why no color designation on this beauty? (I am pretty sure this is an RD for both sides.) It isn't a "questionable" or "altered" color, so why no color designation at all? Is this normal to not attribute a color if it clearly isn't brown?
They should have but I also know they only have x number of spaces to put information. They might of just run out of spaces to put it on.
I looked at the coin description on the NGC website, and there is no color designation there either. Appears some copper error coins get a color designation from NGC and some don't. Why? Cal
Killer coin. I think they designate it usually as I have an off center 1864 ihc that’s labeled 1864 bronze au 55 bn
It is a very nice coin. Very hard to find. I'm sure it is out of my budget so I'll stick with my more homely 1917 off center. And mine comes with a mint mark
You guys got me curious. What’s the best way to determine a fair price on these? Are enough auctioned to make a decent determination? Or is it beauty (price) lies in the eye of the beholder.
It's difficult. Im trying to collect an off center wheat for every year of wheat cent. Just one per year mint doesnt matter. Lately they have been going for pretty high prices. Obviously the older the wheat the more valuable and D's and S's make a difference. I have off an off center 1911, 1917D, 1918D, 1919S, 1926S, 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1947S. None were cheap, but i feel i got deals on most. The 1911 was the most i paid at $220. That was probably 4 or 5 years ago. It's in an ANACS slab at AU50. Right now I feel like i could list it for twice that and still be low. Just go on ebay and look up off center wheats. Youll get a pretty good idea there.
Bigger the error bigger the price. If you can find a strong price history lower price. Errors cost more when they are rare
1. Auction prices on Stacks & Bowers, eBay, and Heritage Auctions are a great way to start with errors. 2. To be better educated about pricing, you really need to understand how each particular type of error occurs (off centers vs. wrong metal vs. wrong planchet vs. wrong stock vs. double\multiple strikes, the difference between a blank and a planchet, etc.) and read everything you can about them. 3. As @baseball21 said, the more dramatic and eye-appealing, and the more rare the error, and the higher the grade, the bigger the premium. Dramatic and high grade proof errors (like off centers, double strikes, and wrong metal or planchet errors) are usually more expensive and often sell for thousands of dollars even in low PF grades as there are fewer minted, thus usually far fewer error specimens. For example, below is a proof error with 3 major errors: an SBA $1 that is broadstruck on a proof rimless type 1 blank. And here is a 1987-P nickel struck on 25c stock; there are only 8-9 known and run around $800 in AU; mine is AU53. 4. In general, an error with a sharply struck, full 4-digit date is worth more than an incomplete or missing date. The fewer marks, scratches, and discolored spots = bigger premiums. Here is one from my collection: a beautiful 25c struck on a nickel planchet (it weighs what a nickel weighs). It has amazingly smooth and unblemished surfaces and a full date, though distorted (but it adds to the appeal). Part has a reeded edge, and part doesn't, which also makes it more dramatic and desirable. This is MS65 5. With errors, grading is much more difficult and subjective. Though assigning a color (RD, RB, BN) is easy, as is determining attributions like Full Steps, Full Bands, or Full Head, assigning a grade is much more challenging than with non-errors. Here, it is best to go by groups of grades (MS60-MS62, MS63-MS65, MS66-MS67, and you hardly ever see major errors higher than MS67). There will be little difference between MS61 and MS63, bit there is a definite difference between MS61 and MS65. It is not uncommon to see two similar coins in roughly the same condition and error type(s) be given much different grades even from the same TPG company in the same generation holder. I oftentimes see an error coin and say to myself, "how could they possibly have given it that high of a grade if most of the features are weak or totally missing?" For example, below is a Quarter on a 1c planchet. It is graded MS65RB, but to me, it is barely an MS60. What do you think? 6. You also have to understand most major errors, especially those with multiple errors, will have marks or even scratches that may be unacceptable for high MS grades of non-errors. Certain acceptable marks from mint damage as a result of the coining process, variances on the strength and weakness of strikes, distortions (stretching or squashing of features, or even partially or completely missing features ), etc., will often vary and not be labeled as "damaged" or "scratched" even f there are very obvious and pronounced blemishes. (By carefully studying the same type of error of the same denomination, you start to get a feel as to what marks are acceptable and expected, and for some there is a pattern of the same types of marks.) Below is a triple struck quarter I have with "scratches" and contact marks, but they occurred as a result of the minting process and thus was not given a dreaded "details" grade; it is MS65. The more you read about and look at errors, the different types of errors on different denominations, even those you don't care to collect, and the more you study recent auction prices, you will start to get a better feel for prices. However, few people collect errors, especially higher-valued ones, and trying to sell them is difficult. I bought that 1917 20% off center above for $350, which is hundreds of dollars less than what other Lincoln Cent teens in MS65RD have sold for recently. It is also the "eye of the beholder" for sure. Certain toning doesn't bother me, some I absolutely love, but some demand no toning at all. I have overpaid for some coins I wanted because of their rarity or color. I absolutely hate fingerprints, bag (reeding) marks, and staining and won't want them even if free, unless they are incredibly scarce or higher grades are simply unaffordable. I also strongly dislike certain errors, like cuds, rotated dies, clipped planchets, lamination peeling, and strike-throughs (unless you can clearly tell what was struck through/ into it and it is highly unusual, like a paperclip). I also do not want any "details" grades like "improperly cleaned" or "wheel marks" or "altered color" as I view them as damaged, and those are even tougher to sell. I hope this helps!
There you go again.. I guess we are 2 totally different types of Mint Error collectors because I like them all! How can you not like a beauty such as this.. From my collection -
I honestly can't give a solid, substantive, logical reason as to why I don't care to collect those types of errors, including clips and cuds. It is just preference. Most people think I am nuts for only collecting errors and upper-tier varieties. I have a BU set of silver Ikes, silver Franklin halves, every silver Kennedy minted, a Full Step MS66 war nickel set, and an ms67 steel cent set all CAC, and that's it other than a few Henning nickels. Non errors for me are just date fillers and nothing more.
