I found this a few months ago, while cherrypicking through rolls of Nickels. Can I get some input to see if I understand, correctly what a "dropped letter" error is? My understanding: A "dropped letter" error is actually a "struck through" error - being that as a letter or letters in the die fill with grease, the grease will collect and hold minute particles of dust/ debris. Over time, as the letter/s are filling, the particles and grease are are compacting and getting hard and brittle. Eventually when the letter is filled completely, the collected stuff falls out in the shape of that letter. Usually, when the letter falls, it will break apart as it hits the surface it lands upon, because it is so brittle. Rarely, the letter will fall out maintaining its shape as it lands on the surface of the next blank to be struck. As the next blank is struck, the shape of the fallen letter is "struck through" and incused into the surface of the newly struck coin. During the strike the fallen letter is obliteratedbecause it is so brittle, making each "dropped letter" error coin one of a kind.
Hey admin can you fix the title? Very cool I have never heard of a dropped letter. How common are they?
Is it o.k. for me to say that I did that on purpose? After all, this is the error forum, right? Thanks for catching that, FreakyGarrettC. I had a hard time finding any info on them. If my understanding of how they occur is right, I say they aren't very common at all. I just don't have the years of experience in dealing with error coins, that it would take to be able to say accurately, though. I can say it's the only one i've found, though. Thanks, rzage!
Thanks FreakyGarrettC, I am curious to know the value of it. And also, thanks jello! I agree with you, it is a true keeper! This was my first significant error coin to find! I'd say I searched through close to, if not more than, a thousand rolls of Nickels by the time I found it (people at work always looking at dd:me like I was nuts, for looking through rolled nickels... ).
