197x Lincoln Error?

There is no die clash and there is no lamination issue but it is definitely a nice error. This coin was struck through a disintegrating die cap. A capped die occurs when a coin is struck and then adheres to one of the dies(typically the hammer die). That coin now essentially functions as the new die and the first few strikes produce a mirror brockage- an incuse mirror image of the design. In this case, the Memorial side of the die cap would create the brockage on one side of the coin while the anvil die would create a normal Memorial impression on the other side. After repeated strikes, the die cap stretches and thins out. As that happens, the brockage spreads out and increases in size- traces of the Memorial are left on this coin. As the capped die keeps striking coins, the Memorial image fades and Lincoln's bust emerges. Eventually, the die cap begins to disintegrate and fall away- that is what happened on the left side of the coin.

I especially like this example simply because it combines most of those aspects into one- you have traces of the brockage, Lincoln's ghost bust, most of a date and the beginning of cap disintegration. I would estimate value at around $25, maybe a bit higher. Very nice

IMO what happened is that somewhere between the blanking process and the upsetting process, the top portion of the coin fell away, resulting in a mushy strike.

EDIT: bio's answer sounds more possible than mine, and I trust him more than me, LOL!


that is a very cool coin by the way!

This is my kind or coin. I have a die cap cent and I would love to see what the coins it turned out look like. I also wonder what the other coin involved in the making of the coin I use as an avatar looks like.

Do you know the weight of the coin? That would prove that nothing is missing from the original planchet.

Here's my Die Cap Cent. It's ANACS MS-63 Red.

I'm not sure the weight of the coin Yokozuna. I don't have a scale yet, and now you've got me curious.

If you post a photograph of the reverse of this coin I might be able to tell you the date for sure.

Let me know if this one I'd taken before is not good enough and I can take a better one.

Very cool. Learn something everyday here at CCF, and pretty much everytime you post.