A die defect is a unique and unintentional flaw in a
coin die
Mint (coin), Minting, coining or coinage is the process of manufacturing coins using a kind of stamping (metalworking), stamping, the process used in both hammered coinage and milled coinage. This "stamping" process is different from the method ...
and is created through excessive use or polishing of the die. A die bearing such a defect is occasionally referred to as a defective die. Generally, and depending upon the magnitude of the defect,
coin
A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...
s that are produced from these dies are considered
error coins. Also, the term encompasses a wide variety of design errors that were engraved into the die originally and were slipped into
circulation before the incorrect design was discovered.
Types
Die crack
A die crack occurs when a die, after being subjected to immense
pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and eve ...
during the
minting process, cracks, causing a small gap in the die. If this damaged die continues to produce coins, the
metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
will fill into the crack, thus revealing a raised line of metal in the finished coin. Specimens with more prominent die cracks can command a high premium and are valued greatly by some
collectors
Collector(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Collector (2011 film), ''Collector'' (2011 film), an Indian Malayalam film
* Collector (2016 film), ''Collector'' (2016 film), a Russian film
* Collectors (film), ''Collectors'' (film), a 2020 So ...
. However, less obvious errors are quite common, especially in the
50 States Commemorative Quarter Program, yielding a lower value.
Cud
A cud on a coin is a damaged area resembling a blob at the edge of the coin. Cuds result from a piece of the perimeter of the die breaking away. They can be any shape depending on the shape of the piece that broke off the die.
See also
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Coining (mint)
Minting, coining or coinage is the process of manufacturing coins using a kind of stamping, the process used in both hammered coinage and milled coinage. This "stamping" process is different from the method used in cast coinage.
A coin die ...
*
Die-deterioration doubling
*
Doubled die
*
Wavy step
*
US error coins
*
Mint-made errors
Mint-made errors occur when coins are made incorrectly at the mint (facility), mint, including anything that happens to the coin up until the completion of the minting process. Mint error coins can be the result of deterioration of the minting ...
References
External links
Coinsite error coin prices
{{DEFAULTSORT:Die Defect (Coin)
Currency production
Mint-made errors