Learn the error coin fundamentals
Before you sell or submit for grading, use these quick frameworks to confirm you have a genuine mint error or variety.
- Strike vs. damage: Look for metal flow, doubling at the rim, and consistent features—random gouges are usually damage.
- Alignment: Rotate the coin—misaligned dies and off-center strikes show predictable arcs; vise jobs do not.
- Planchet clues: Wrong planchet weight, clipped planchets, and laminations show up in edge and weight checks.
- Repetition: True varieties repeat on many coins from the same die—search images of the date/mint to confirm.
Top U.S. targets
- Lincoln cents: doubled dies (1995, 2009), off-center strikes, wide AM.
- Nickels: 2005 speared bison, rotated dies.
- Dimes: 1982 no-P Roosevelt, cud breaks.
- Quarters: state/ATB doubled dies, struck through grease, off-centers.
- Halves: 1972-D DDO, clipped planchets.
- Dollars: Sacagawea missing edge lettering, wrong planchet strikes.
Keep lighting consistent, shoot both sides, and note weight—those three steps will speed up AI and human identification.