I understand what a plating blister is I have several pennies with them. My question is why isn't a plating blister considered and error? It happens at the mint. I know that the coin is played after the initial strike but it still happens during the minting process before it is thrown into the bin or bag. Just wanting some clarification on it. It can't leave the mint supposedly without the plating. Thanks guys.
Since it’s unintended, I suppose a case could be made to label such coins “errors” in a technical sense, but would also mean that any and every coin that leaves the mint with any unintended anomaly would warrant the same. Would you really want the label so cheapened, or do you think it better reserved for the more deserving?
The plating is done before the planchets ever reach the mint. The problems that eventually lead to the bubbles occur before they ever reach the mint.
Coins are manufactured in a process with inherent variables. Not all coins fall in the range of "as designed". Each has a little variance. It is virtually impossible to find perfect specimens in coins that are minted for circulation. That's why they make proof coins and charge much more for them.
Conder101, if the plating is done before it gets to the mint shouldn't the mint inspect the planchets for the blisters before they strike them? If the blisters are there before they are struck then shouldn't it be part of the minting process?
That would be like inspecting each grain of rice for a defect before you start cooking it. Bubbles and Blisters are not really such a great concern. They are minor issues.
BooksB4Coins, so by your definition then if a coin has a die crack, or cud, or die chip or doubled die or any other anomaly shouldn't be listed as an error because they weren't intended.
Die cracks, cuds, and die chips happen during the striking process, yet they are more noticed when determining a variety and it's possible die stage. For the most part they are considered an occurrence and expected. They really aren't errors.
Business strike coins, of which billions are minted every year, are not made with collectors in mind. They are minted To provide liquidity for commerce. If the mint inspected each planchet prior to striking it would either take an extreme amount of money to do it quickly or an extreme amount of time to do it cheaply, thereby harming the economy due to slowing down the money supply. It’s a high speed, high volume, low cost manufacturing process. Quality is not that important. The saying in manufacturing is - You can have it fast, cheap, or good. Pick two.
The US MINT "redesigned" the 1982 copper cent to the copper plated, zinc core with lower cost and fast production in mind. Period. As mentioned above, it's used for the money supply and in their analysis, if you "collect" you should be buying the Uncirc, Proof coins as per "their definition" are numismatic/collectable quality, not the stuff sent out in the money supply. Why ppl "collect" circulated pocket change befuddles many "collectors" but it is what it is. With post 1982 cents zinc reacts to steam .. think your wet clothes in the dryer with change in the pocket type steam. The US MINT has tested steam in order to make sure the penny blanks when they go through the cleaning and drying phase don't just burst in it's first drying phase. They do know they'll breakdown in multiple drying phases which will create other surface irregularities/anomalies as the pennies start to eat themselves in a cannibalistic manner. Cheap & Fast production with a certain longevity was the Main driving factors for zinc core pennies. "Quality" was "good enough". If your cashier can recognize it as worth 1 cent after many years of use, then it was "good enough". For more detailed information about this (and other stuff you really didn't care to know) you may want to visit this thread .. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/alternative-metals-testing-for-us-coinage.333055/
In the strictest sense, yes, copper plating bubbles are 'errors', because the planchets shouldn't show the bubbles - most unstruck copper coated zinc planchet are nice and smooth. However, in general, the vast majority of them, because they are so common, are more like 'anomalies' - different, but not significant in most cases.
to add to that ... plating blisters occur from three main possible causes: 1 - preparation / contamination 2 - oxidation 3 - plating rate You can bet the farm that #3 they are plating "as fast as possible" to keep total production costs down. The solution temperature and electrical current has direct impact on the End Quality. By increasing the electrical current you can increase the production rate. Although the resultant could be uneven and incomplete bonding of the copper on the zinc (such as what you are seeing). Which when your primary concern is *fast*, the 100% quality isn't really deemed a concern especially for coins being used in the money supply (non collectable quality)
