Hi...did some searches but cant find a reference. Found a 1973 with reverse rotational error while roll hunting. Any ideas?
If it is slightly off, it's just cool. There's no premium. It has to be off by a lot. I can't tell from the staples if it is more or less than 180 degrees, (170/190) or if it is upside down and it is 10 degrees. 180ish would be excellent. If there is a horizontal staple at 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock, then when you photo the reverse, it is easier to tell.
Hmmm... Maybe but I am not sure because the way you have photographed the obverse of your coin does not have Lincoln sitting perfectly orientated with his head to the north. So I am tending to think that if you rotated your obverse counterclockwise a bit so that it was perfectly orientated, and then if you turned it over and turned it upside down, you might find that the reverse (or even the obverse) is not one made by a rotated die. I am not an expert and they will stop by to give you a reliable opinion on your suspicions about your coin.
Welcome to Coin Talk. Hold the coin on an angle close to a mirror then take a photo where we can see both sides of the coin in the one photo.
From what I can tell, it doesn't appear to be rotated at all. I call this type of error "non-alignment" and I have literally dozens of them, almost all of them Lincoln cents. Some more out of alignment than others. My first find was because the alignment was so out of whack that it was noticeable as soon as the coin was turned over. I used to check EVERY cent for this and the way I did it was to align the bottom edge of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST and the bottom edge of the date, parallel to the bottom edge of a penny 2x2 cardboard flip, close the flip, hold the penny tight and turn it over. Voila ! Either it is or it isn't. If it was just a little or not at all, I tossed it back. If it was enough to be really noticeable, I kept it. Like I say, I have dozens. Sadly, none so out of alignment that they have a premium.
It's known only as a Rotated Die Error. There is really no way of telling which die actually rotated. http://www.maddieclashes.com/rotated-die-error/
Thx so much everyone! Happy to be a part of the group. It's in the cardboard holder and when I flip it that's the error. Idk degrees and such but it's definitely off a few degrees.
It's not a Rotated Reverse, because it's not rotated at least 27 degrees - that's the official die tolerance at the Mints. And, in general, collectors want a minimum of 45 degrees, and usually 90 degrees, before a coin become collectable as a rotated reverse. Your cent is well within Mint tolerance.
Yes, @paddyman98 !! I was so interested to read that probably it is the "hammer die" that is usually rotated. I'm glad for this thread because it sent me looking again at and reading about rotated dies. http://www.error-ref.com/rotated_die_error/ By the way Welcome to CoinTalk! @William Sheldon
Hi, go to any store that sells school supplies and get a "protractor". It's a plastic device used for drawing, especially circles, and it has degrees marked on it. Learn how to use the marks on it to know how to place it and read it. It's not a "professional" instrument, but it will work to give you an idea of how close to "worth saving" you are with your non-aligned coins.
Or you can just flip them over, top to bottom (not side to side). If the top of the reverse of the coin points to 1:30, it's a 45 degree rotation. If it points to 3:00, it's a 90 degree rotation. If it points to 6:00, it's 180 degrees rotated. If the top of the reverse points to 10:30, then it's a 45 degree Counter-Clockwise rotation, and so on.
I have a Lincoln one-cent 180 degrees rotated die!! Which means its obverse is upside down! It's 1973 D, Brown, MS 65 by PCGS! If anyone is interested in buying, I would attach a photo!