Hi, New Member and new to collecting as well. I've been reading and soaking up information for a few weeks now as I sifted through hundreds of dollars of loose change and discovered the "Art" of error coin collecting. I am quickly realizing how intricate and subjective this can be and know I have a long way to go before I can begin to feel comfortable in assessing what is and is not something worth collecting and if it has any worth at all. With that said, I have just unwrapped my first roll of uncirculated coins in search of errors. (2010 Lincoln Dollars) Well I wasn't disappointed with the fact that I have found some errors, but I must say I couldn't be more shocked in the general condition of the the edges of these coins. They honestly looked like they had battled with a wood chipper and lost. I do understand that Business grade coins intended for circulation are not expected to be perfect, but there does seem to be a total lack of pride from the U.S. Mint. All of the presidential dollars I've been in contact with up to this point were pulled from circulation so I just figured all of the damage I had noticed were, (as you guys put it) "PMD". Now I realize that most of what I saw before was most likely damage that occurred before the coins were even rolled. The reason I bring all of this up is now that I have actually found some error coins in uncirculated condition, are they really even worth anything because of the condition of the edges in general? Unfortunately I am no where near the position where I can afford to deal with Proof or similar coins and am relegated to dealing with business grade coins for the foreseeable future. I am posting some pictures of my finds to hopefully get an idea if anything I've found is worth the time, or should I pick a different coins without the edge lettering to sift through as all other business grade coins I've seen are not subject to the amount damage I am seeing with this series. I guess there is a possibility that I really did get a bad batch that is not the norm, and if so, please let me know. Two coins with "Extras Stars" (What type of error would this be called? They are protruding (Correct term?) instead of being sunken in like the rest.) A closer look at the top one. It also appears to be stamped over some sort of dent or circular pattern. This is an interesting one. I was trying to capture the star that is located between the 0 and the 1 and ended up seeing some sort of "Ghost Doubling" of 2 numbers in the date. I have a few of these pictures that this shows up on but it absolutely can not be seen using a loupe or any other magnifying glass with the naked eye. I realize this is nothing more than just interesting, but I still find it fascinating. Another view of the "Extra Stars" and what appears to be an impression of a "u". A better view of the star nestled in the date, and the bottom coin appears to show some more ghosting of the "P" from the MM I'd appreciate any feedback on whether the coins with extra stars are worth collecting and any other information that might be relevant. I also apologize in advance if I've missed something obvious. Many Thank, Ako
Theseare actually examples of post mint damage. The raised strars etc are created by the edges of two coins coming together HARD. The incuse star on one coin acts as a die to create a fainter raised star on the other coin.
Thanks for the quick replies. I assume they are worth what someone is willing to pay for them. Even though they are not considered true error coins, they are unique in their own way I guess. It makes perfect sense that two coins smashing against each other could produce the effect on these coins, but I'm having a difficult time imagining the circumstances in which this would happen. I'm hoping over time I'll understand the minting process enough to be able to envision damage like this and other odd happenings. I would love to find a good online resource of the entire minting process in detail, but most sites direct you to find a good book on the subject even though a good book is never quoted. =P Does anyone have an opinion on how the majority of the P.Dollars released in business grade become so mangled, and if this has been the norm since their release? These are the first uncirculated coins I've dealt with so I don't have anything to go by. Thanks for any input, Ako Does anyone have an opinion on the condition of the majority of
