nah, never case closed -- until it is. looks like it could have been struck on an under weight planchet.
What kind of premium does an underweight planchet (or tapered) bring? If any premium at all. I looked up tapered planchet and it doesn't look like my dime. My dime has very subtle differences in it's width all around. I also tried to look up some information on underweight plachets but there is virtually none. The only two that I saw was a 1950S Quarter and a 1969 Half. The 1950S Quarter sold for $120+ (I can't remember the exact number) and the 1969 Half didn't sell. Both were on Heritage.
It seems as though most of the information surrounding underweight planchets surround the early 1790's. But nowadays they use mechanical scales to weigh each planchet that comes through, so how can an underweight planchet get through?
Thanks Mike, just for future reference, what's the difference between a "rolled-thin stock" and an underweight planchet? Or is there no difference at all?
There are several different sources for a thin, underweight planchet. The two most common are a rolled-thin planchet and a split-before-strike planchet. Wrong stock errors and foreign planchets round out the list. An underweight planchet could also reflect a lower specific gravity (lower density), but the alloy would have to be dramatically different.
Not trying to beat a dead horse here but I have one more question I have seen some coins in NGC holders that have been classified as "underweight planchet" on the holder. http://minterrornews.com/news-9-23-09-heritage_los_angeles.html Just use the find button and type in "underweight planchet". My question is, would a coin like mine end up in a holder designation like that?
Rolled Thin The coin is a genuine mint error, I believe, but why it is thin and underweight is the question. My guess is that it is struck on a rolled thin or tapered planchet. The coin appears to be weaker on about half of the coin, but it is still fairly uniform. As an "underweight" coin, it's worth at least $5, but could be worth upwards of $50+ depending on where you sell it and if it's slabbed. Jon
"Underweight planchet" or "thin planchet" are non-specific diagnoses that are best avoided unless there truly is uncertainty about the nature and cause of the error. Since rolled-thin errors are relatively common, split planchets easily recognizable, and other causes rare, the default diagnosis should be "rolled-thin" in my opinion. It's the most likely and most prosaic explanation, and one should always opt for the most prosaic explanation rather than a moonshot like "foreign planchet" or God forbid, "experimental planchet".
So do you think my dime with a diagnosis of an "underweight planchet" through NGC could garner something close to that 1950s Quarter? Maybe like $60-$80?
Thin quarters weighing anywhere between 4.9 and 5.3 grams and carrying the S-mintmark have been reported for several dates in the early 1950's. Part of the reason they tend to go for big bucks is that they're almost always mislabeled as "dime stock". They're too heavy for that. A dime stock silver quarter should weigh around 4.6 grams. In my experience, a rolled-thin dime in uncirculated condition usually goes for $25 or less.
It's too bad it's not struck on a split planchet before strike. 90% silver U.S. split planchets are very rare, and undervalued in my opinion! Jon
