1967 P Quarter

So, at first being a newbie to coins, my allure is in being completely fasinated. The history, the hunt, the schematics of error coins. Both my father and brother were avid collectors. I guess thats what prompted me to start this late in the game. It reminds me of them.

I find it very difficult, even after reading the definitions multiple times, to discern the difference when a coin is in front of me. My untrained eye is comparing it to an example that looks to have the same characteristics, but can most certainly have originated in a completely different way, making it hard me for me to define. It seems only seasoned experts can tell this. Which is frustrating, to say the least.

So, i researched the making of a coin. I have a better understanding of the processes now. But that does not in any fashion qualify me to come to the conclusion that the coin must fit this category or that one. Only time, research and practice will allow that. Which makes this subject only more intriguing than before.

I humbly ask for your opinion. If you have the time I wish for a small explanation on to why you believe it happened one way or another. I am willing to learn. I do not claim to have some rare find. I just state that I see some anomoly with a 10x magnifier. I am working with the basic equipment. Such as, my only way of taking pictures is with my Samsung Galaxy. I will try to do my best to get the best representation of what I see in my hand. But please, all of you experienced, seasoned numismatics, understand my questions come from, how best to put this? Like from the eyes of child jumping out of the car to enjoy a day at the fair! Lol

I thank you in advance.

All right. So, the first thing I look for are any known errors pertaining to said coin. I start with the with the easy ones. Or should I say obvious ones? I look at the dates, phrases, mint or specifics to that coin's year. In looking at this 1967 P, I went straight to looking for doubled die features. What I found was different. It is so faint that it requires magnification and to be held in such a way that the light reflecting off the coin doesn't drown it out. Almost impossible to photograph with my phone. After many, many attempts, I present the best of what I can accomplish with my Tonka toys version of equipment. ( Any suggestions on that front would be greatly appreciated as well!). I will try to explain what I see in person with each picture and when necessary put an arrow pointing you to the spot I wish you to see. By all means, if you should see something I missed, please tell me! I have used a color filter in some pictures to try and get a better result.

1. I see a very faint impression of each number to the left of the original one. The very top arrow is of a "Y" ( close-up of that to follow)

2. Close up of the "Y"

3. Another close-up

4. Back of the coin. What could cause just the "i" to be rubbed off?

5/6/7. Just close-ups

8. A line I see that resembles the outline of his face

9/10 Another of the date

11 The phrase on front close-up

 

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Welcome aboard. As you note, developing the eye is critical as a collector. Be patient and read plenty. Get lost in reading and researching. And ask questions to clarify your theories. Folks here are happy to help and contribute to you learning. Some are worth listening too more than others, but you’ll sort that out. And have fun! That’s why most of us do this.

 

Hi Kristine, welcome to CT. What you are showing is a combination of circulation wear, Machine (worthless) Doubling and the "i" is missing due to a grease/debris filled die. It is a good start that you researched the minting process. Here are a couple of sites where you can also learn about how dies are created and the various types of doubling etc.
For images, rest your phone on a coffee mug, soup can etc, use at least two lights and raise the coin on something to fill the screen. Use the timer so there will be no camera shake.
https://doubleddie.com/
http://www.error-ref.com/

 

I see nothing unusual on your coin. Perhaps anothe member will find something that looks doubled. Welcome to CT. I predict that you are going to get lots of replies. I'm going to suggest that you go to the gas station and get change for $2 in quarters and look at them as closely as you have done here. You have demonstrated that most women have an eye for detail. Unfortunately, that allows them to see everything, much of it not special. If you think you will like looking at coins, the internet is your friend. It sounds like you are off to a good start BUT most importantly is to find a club in your area and start looking at common coins so you will learn about marks, metal flow, color, strike, etc.

When you look at just about any coin under magnification you will be able to find all sorts of things - like looking at the cloud shapes in the sky. Good Luck, and try to find an experienced collector (father/brother) to help you in person.

 

First, welcome to the neighborhood, Kristine!

I don't see much in most of your photos. Some of that may be due to the magnification, some to the heavy circulation and some to pareidolia (like seeing shapes in the clouds).

The missing "I" on the reverse is probably due to a grease-filled die. This is a very common occurrence in the striking of coins. What happens is that grease and debris fill the recesses of letters, numbers or even devices on the die. Continued strikes cause it to build up and harden until such time that the letter (in your example) disappears altogether.

A lot of new collectors start right out looking for errors and varieties because they think that is where they can make a quick profit. Yes, it is true that you can profit from this area of numismatics, but the learning process is not quick. It can take years to learn how to identify them, and even longer if you are looking through nothing but heavily circulated coins. For circulated coins, every tiny mark may seem unusual or unique, but that doesn't mean that it was produced by the US Mint.

Good luck! ~Chris

 

Welcome to CT. You will get all your answers or a path to the answer from the good folks here.

 

Very cool! I will definitely try the camera trick and check out those links. Thank you!

 

Welcome aboard Kristine. Your statements on this post show that you are thoughtful in your goal. That is very refreshing for a person just learning about numismatics. As you stated, time and experience will help your knowledge.
As for your quarter, it appears to me as a regular, well circulated coin with marks and wear to account for most of the things you are seeing, so not special and NAV, no added value over face.
When most individuals start out in this hobby, they try way too hard to find errors and end up deep in pareidolia. With experience, you will quickly learn to see this in your evaluation of a coin.
Hang in there and learn as you go. Many great and knowledgable members here will be willing to help.
As for photos, the following is something I post for new members. Hope it helps.
For the best results, you should post "in focus," FULL IMAGE photos (after you upload your photo, two buttons appear: Thumbnail and Full Image, click Full Image and your photo appears full size on your post and are easily enlarged by clicking on it). Photograph coins on neutral backgrounds like black, grey, or white. Crop out superfluous background so just the coin shows (you can use https://www.remove.bg for free), and post photos with correct orientation so members don't have to turn their computer in some awkward fashion to view it properly. While it isn’t always necessary, it is nice to show both the obverse and reverse, even if your question is just about one side. Members can often give more valuable information having both sides to evaluate. Add close ups of areas you have questions about and make your questions as definitive as possible so we know what you are asking for. And try to have the best lighting possible to show the most favorable photo of the coin. Hope this helps in the future. Good luck.

 

I wish I could ask them. But they are no longer with us. But thank you for your reply and will do. So quick question:
Because of the different varieties is it possible, for example, to have a wide AM on a penny have the same designer's initials as the closed AM?

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks! Thats why I choose this coin for you guys to bounce off of. To try and wrap my head around it all a little better. If I don't have a clear understanding of what I am looking for then how can I find it? Years ago I cane across a coin I had never seen before. I set it aside to do further research at a later date. I ended up spending it by accident and just forgot about it. Some time went by, and I went to fetch it and of course it was gone. But none the less I decided to look it up. It was a Barber dime. I had no idea of what year it was. Sad that I lost it, but cool that I had actually had one.

 

Yes, you will have the same initials on both the wide AM and close AM. It is the same reverse design by Frank Gasparrow (FG). The problem was that the Mint replaced the regular buisness dies with proof coin dies by mistake. Edit to add--Insider has clarified below about positions of the initials. That's not what I thought you were asking about. I thought you were asking if the two different coins had two different initials, not two different placements.

 

Kristine Garrant, posted: "I wish I could ask them. But they are no longer with us.

Sorry to read that.

""So quick question:
Because of the different varieties is it possible, for example, to have a wide AM on a penny have the same designer's initials as the closed AM?"

AFAIK, NO. The designers initials are in different locations from the Memorial. There are tips/photos to distinguish wide & close "AM's" on the Internet.

 

@Kristine Garrant On your photo list and #11. The "phrase" is actually called a "motto". You may often times run into coins like the quarter with what appears to be doubling. This is called machine doubling and has nothing to do with a true doubled die which is caused by hub doubling. This is covered in detail at www.doubleddie.com. Eventually a die will become so worn that the letters will get fat and mushy looking.

 

You are right about the positions but the initials remain FG and what I was referring to. (And what I thought she was asking)

 

Welcome to CT. You’ve started correctly by doing some research. You’ll need to do a lot more in the future if you stick with it. Sorry to hear about your dad and brother but I’m sure they would be pleased to know you’ve started what they came to enjoy.

There is so much to learn and do in this hobby. Look back on what they collected and look at what’s available today. You should consider buying a Red Book by RS Yeoman. You can learn a lot, but by the prices are only a guide.

We would be glad to answer and questions you may have. Glad to have you with us. I also have you your first like.

 

Welcome to the best place to learn about this crazy hobby called coin collecting!!! I would add one additional site for you to check out and learn from! http://www.varietyvista.com/

 

Greetings Kristine,

Welcome to CT. As you can see there is a plethora of information and countless CT forum members that are more than willingly to assist you in any way possible. Of all the coin forums on the web I truly believe you picked the very best. We DO have our faults; but like brothers and sisters we fight and 99.9% of the time make up and move on. But I will tell you if you have ANY questions regarding coins and well, life in general you are in the right place. Just make sure you pick the correct catergory (these guys are a little temperamental about this). Once again welcome to CT and we hope you enjoy your stay. And as always enjoy what remains of your day.

 

Welcome! And here's an additional tip on how to see high-res images of particular errors which do in fact add some extra premium value to coins...
Register (it's free) on arguably two of the major coin auction sites and you will be able to search and view sold (and currently selling or about to be listed) coins, especially graded coins.
ha.com
stacksbowers.com

 

The faint I is from a grease-filled die. Good catch. My advice to you is that if you can't see it with the naked eye, it's not an important feature.