While this never entered circulation, it was pulled from a employee working in a counting house that receives coins from the Mint and Rolls them for Banks, etc...
Pre-2002, there was a well known
ebay seller on the East Coast that would auction off "damaged" errors that she purchased from this employee and list them in lots of 60 error coins..
This is one of those pieces that escaped the Mint in their Mint Bags (I don't think the Mint had huge bulk bags back then as you could purchase Mint Sewn Bags @ 5,000 Coins per Bag), a blank dime with a unique clip/clips...
The damaged error lots also featured some nice multi-strikes that were bent with a pair of pliers... After ordering many coins, both damages and undamaged, I asked her about the coins that were bent on purpose and why...
Her reply was simple;
Quote:
Instead of returning any error coins found in the rolling process, they would prefer _________ damage the coin, there by making them uncollectable.
When I learned this, I eMailed the information to
Coin World, thinking they would be interested and share it with their readers...
Instead, they wanted no part of this... I can only assume they did not want to mention the counting house by name for fear of legal action against them..
I sold some of these certified by PCI (green label) on
ebay with the name of the counting house listed on the holder as being "______ cancelled" and know of some CCF members having purchased them...
For the NGC & PCGS collectors, you do not spend more to holder the coin then what you paid for it.
Back then, I, along with many other Dealers used ANACS, SEGS & PCI for cheap errors valued under $100 Retail, & walking the floor of any Coin Show from this time period, the above three were in many display cases...
