Roll Hunting For Errors

[Tabfry]

I am wondering how much time some of you take to look at each coin in a roll. It appears that a majority of CRH'ers look for silver and some obvious oddities, but there are many subtle errors that could easily be overlooked if someone is looking only at the mint date. Just curious...

 

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[killerwine]

I don't have the patience that some here do...I do check nickels for "speared buffalos."

 

[Immy]

I'm in the same boat as killerwine. I tend to go thru coins so fast that unless it's very obvious (off-center, die break, die chip in the date or a clipped planchet) I won't bother. I've found enough examples of the easier-to-find common errors (bubbled planchets, misaligned dies) and their value is so minimal that it isn't worth saving more than one or two types of each, just as a reference. Once in awhile I'll come across something unusual that'll take a little research to ID (like a wire-edge strike I recently found) but for the most part the most common ones are tossed back.

 

[HobBob]

Well, it's still kinda new to me, so I recently examined in detail both sides of about 1-1/2 boxes in pennies. Didn't find any big errors, but did find a number of minor things. I've got two more boxes I just went through to sort out wheats and 95% coppers, and I'll probably do them as well. If I still don't come up with anything significant, I may reconsider later. But right now, it's both educational and fun.
HH,
Bob

 

[AFModell]

Immy, whats a wire edge strike?

 

[Jeffro]

I used to go through my cents like that, but haven't done much hunting in them lately. Halves I go through like fire, looking for silver and a few years of Doubles, but thats it.

Got lots of odd cents by going through them slowly, by the way. But like others, nothing of big value.

 

[Immy]

Immy, whats a wire edge strike?

Here's the description from Minting Varieties and Errors 5th Edition by Alan Herbert:

"A coin struck with excessive pressure, forcing coin metal between the edge of the die and the collar, showing on the struck coin as a thin flange of coin metal formed at the outside edge or edges of the coin, at right angles to design rim."

The collar being the circular hole that holds the coin blank in place as it's struck by the dies. In simpler terms the edge of the coin has a pronounced raised area (about 1-2 mm in height) where metal was squeezed upwards due to too much pressure from the dies. If you were to look at the coin's edge it would look slightly wider than normal. No extra value, but a cool error nonetheless.

 

[enamel7]

Hi HobBob,
Found any type II cents yet?

 

[Tabfry]

Thanks, fellas, for the replies!

 

[HobBob]

Hi HobBob,
Found any type II cents yet?

Nope, but it's not for a lack of effort !!!!! Just under two more boxes to search before I go get some more!!

 

[killerwine]

Can someone refresh my memory on type II cents?

 

[treasurekidd]

I'm on my first try at roll hunting, and I went through the $20 in pennies quickly the first time, pulled out 8 wheats, a 1942 Canadian, and a Barbados penny. Now, I'm going through them again, more carefully. I sort through each roll, and put aside the 4 major error dates for memorial pennys (1972 double die obverse, 1983 double die "one cent", 1984 double die ear, and 1995 double die liberty. I put aside those dates, and then check them all out under a magnifying glass. Nothing yet, but might as well check them, as each of those is worth quite a few bucks. I c an't see spendng the time looking through each coin carefully, looking for minor errors that aren't worth much, I just don't have that kind of free time, lol!

 

[diggummup]

Can someone refresh my memory on type II cents?

Maybe he means variety II lincoln cent?That would be the '43 steel cent.I found this in a roll of 1971d uncirculated memorial cents.It's the only one like it but the rest look like the obverse is pushing through the reverse.I tried to get a picture but it wouldn't or rather I couldn't get it to show.Here's the one obvious one.What is this called?

 

[HobBob]

Hi Guys,
The type II's that enamel7 asked about are described here:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,40273.0.html.
Immy wrote a good description:
"The type II's go like this -

In 1993 the mint started using slightly changed dies for the reverse of all proof cents (S mints). The old die shows the AM in America so close that they're just about touching at the base. The new style has a definite space between the base of the letters. All P & D cents from 1993 on have the closely spaced AM, but a few years were accidentally made with the new proof dies (with the AM spaced apart). The designer's initals are also slightly different in the new style. To date only 1998, 1999 & 2000 pennies have been found with the "wide AM" variety.

But get this. Recently a 1992 with a "close AM" has been found. All pre-1993 pennies are the "wide" style. Since the change took place in 1993, a 1992 with a "close AM" is probably a prototype test for the new design.

So check all pennies 1993-present for "wide AM" varieties and check 1992's for a "close AM". "

Hope this helps. Sorry it took so long for me to reply. Check out the pics I have attached. This is the greatest magnification I can scan in, but if you enlarge the two examples and look at the AM in America, you can see the difference.
HH,
Bob