I have several error types from the mid 1960s, in particular 1964 and 1965. Why do these seem to be banner years from this period for so many different kinds of error types in large numbers? ~Joe Cronin
Lack of quality control? Maybe those years the supervision of handling errors at the Mints was less than what was expected.
Mass production. I think the Mint was more concerned about producing large numbers to keep up with demand than with the quality of the coins.
coins were being made for commerce, to be used as money. The Proofs were being made for collectors. To collect. of course, the collectors thus scour the commerce made coins ...
I think it is the lack of quality control to pull out errors. Wonder if the riddler was installed back then.
When I was young a group of us visited that district, we will just say it was very enlightening. Add Golden gate park to the mix and you could people watch all day. I also think it was quality control and the mass production of coinage.
There was a major coin shortage at the time and production was being ramped up VERY quickly, the ramping up of quality control happened at a slower pace. Emphasis was on quantity, not quality.
There was a coin shortage around that time - one of the reasons silver was taken out of coins. Mintages were very high at that time, so in general, the more coins you strike, the more errors are made, and get out. It happens every ten years or so in this regard also - Some major mint errors, struck in the normal course of business, were removed by mint employees. Mid-1960's - San Francisco Mint Late 1970's - Denver Mint 1999-2001 - Philly Mint It goes in cycles.