Is There A Comprehensive Dollar Coin Error List?

Check out:

Washington:
http://coins.about.com/od/errorcoin...ettering.htm

http://coins.about.com/od/errorcoin...tering_2.htm

http://coins.about.com/od/errorcoin...tering_3.htm

Adams:
http://coins.about.com/od/errorcoin...rs/index.htm

Far be it from me to differ with CC. I know a tiny fraction of what he knows about coins. Very true what he said re: "question everything that doesn't look like what it's supposed to." And "Since errors are generally strictly coin to coin, lists would be worthless." Always look for something new!

However, many have discovered certain error "patterns" with the Presidential coins. For instance, the Washington "Smooth Edge" & the Adams "Double Lettering Edge."

Besides these mentioned above, I've noticed other patterns.

Several people have found the Washington "Filled Die Chip in the First S in States," & the Washington " Struck Through Grease Starburst," which sometimes is on the front or the back of the coin, & sometimes both sides.

Several people have found the Adams " Die Cud or Chip Above the First T in States," & the Adams " Struck Through Grease Without Starburst," which almost always affects both the front & back of the coin.

These particular error "patterns" have been "unique" to the different coins, except for the instances of rare exceptions, like the rare Adams "Smooth Edge," or the rare Adams "Filled Die Chip in the First S in States."

I've examined close to 4,000 Presidential dollar coins (so far) & have seen these unique error "patterns" in both the coins I've examined personally & the coins I've seen promoted on ebay.

I also purchased some new Adams dollars to check and have been looking for errors. I agree with coppercoins, I started by reading the previously mentioned lists of errors, but when you get into it it's easier to start comparing the coins to one another. Now I have a couple that I question (I too am an error newbie) and need to figure out what to do with.

sidenote: I could definitely use a better magnifier, that's for sure. What did you purchase madmartigan (sorry, it's off topic, I know)?

Yechi, et.al. - You prove my point in knowing what the "normal" looks like if you see patterns of errors showing up. Whether the errors you find are based on patterns or are single examples doesn't matter when you get acclimated to what a "normal" coin for the issue looks like then pull anything that's different. This is the best method to spot everything.

Case in point...slightly different subject, one I actually do know something about. Die varieties. 1960D Lincoln cents are known for producing large numbers of repunched mintmarks. Actually there are nearly 160 different ones known, and only a few of them are scarce. Many people ONLY look at the mintmark on them because there are fewer than a half dozen different doubled dies known. They are all scarce and show up very infrequently. When people ask the age-old question, "what should I look for?", many would tell them to just bother with the mintmark because the chances of finding a doubled die are very tiny. They are automatically limiting themselves from finding the most valuable coins they should be searching for.

My point is this...if you know what the normal looks like, it's far easier to spot the abnormal. Use this as the rule when searching any denomination for anything. The more observant you are, the more likely you could discover something nobody else has found before. Learn the design features for each year and what makes the different years look different. SOMEBODY had to have discovered that there were Wide AM and Close AM cents for 1992, 1992D, 1998, 1999, and 2000 cents. There's a whole market based on just those...and they would look completely normal to anyone who was not observant.