1972-D LMC

Could someone explain how this coin was actually created? I don't know a lot about error coins like this.

From what I've read so far, it sounds like something like this happened: Planchet is positioned on the die. The upper die strikes planchet, which then sticks to the obverse die. My coin enters. Obverse die, now a capped die, strikes through the stuck planchet, and makes an impression on my coin.

Now this is where I'm really fuzzy. My coin isn't properly ejected and is struck again by the capped die, but only after the capped coin rotated some? Then my coin is properly ejected?

When explaining this to me, don't be afraid to pretend your words are coming from a sock puppet as I am very new to coins.

This is a prime example of why we do what we do! Great find!

1. Not a deteriorating die but rather a deteriorating die cap (a cent stuck on the die). For discussion on your cent I would say the dies were fine. But yes it's been hammered flat and so doesn't show the Memeroial anymore. The first cent struck has a very impressive Memorial reverse on the obverse side. Where's that bad boy

2. More strikes occurred flattening the cap to paper thin. Now "Struck through" starts where you see the obverse through the paper thin cap. The struck cents look normal except super mushy looking.

3. The cap is imprinted with the obverse and then rotates and your cent is struck through leaving the regular detail plus the details left on the cap from a prior strike.

In the case of Adam's cent, rotation was happening on perhaps every strike leaving more and more imprints on the cap.

Nice find!

This has to be a one in a billion occurrence. I am amazed at the level of detail that you forensic coinvestigators can give about precisely how this error was made. You people are awesome, I have much to learn.

Errors are worth what people are willing to pay for them, and are the hardest sort of thing to value, partly because sometimes each one is unique. Some errors can be rare, but are not very interesting (modern rotated dies are pretty rare, but there are only a few collectors), but others are spectacular but relatively common (off-center strikes, for instance). Yours is both relatively rare, and spectacular.

If I had to wager a guess, I'd say it's certainly worth more than $50, maybe more than $100. But it's really worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. Maybe at auction it would fetch a lot less or a lot more.

Value depends on the clarity and completeness of the incuse design. Since it's mainly the date that is affected, I'd guess it would be worth between $35 and $50.

Oh, and since this is my first serious roll find, it's going into my collection. No plans on selling it.

You don't see many coins like that for sale.