Rare Counter-Brockage Errors Back From PCGS

These are fun errors to exercise the mind in terms of understanding how they are produced. For these coins, a planchet is fed in on top of the anvil die, beneath one stuck to the hammer die as a cap, but this is no ordinary die cap...

Step one - normal coin is struck, then it sticks to the anvil (obverse) die as a cap. Several more reverse brockage coins (mirror image and incuse) are then created, stretching out the reverse design elements.

Step two - the original anvil cap is dislodged and removed, and a freshly struck reverse mirror brockage coin now sticks to the hammer die as a cap.

Step three - a normal planchet is fed in on top of the anvil die, and struck by the cap that has the mirror reverse brockage, producing a counter-brockage that has raised devices.

These errors are quite rare; clicking on the photos in these links pulls up a larger image for study. Note the 'orange peel' texture that is common to both mid and later stage brockage and counter-brockage strikes. Again, I send these to PCGS not because I need to know what they are, but for the benefit of those whom will eventually sell, and buy, these coins. A small price to pay, for what an auction hammer will realize in the future.

https://www.PCGS.com/cert/37951195

https://www.PCGS.com/cert/37951198

I also have another one, really late stage from 1980, but I am skeptical that PCGS will recognize the points that identify it as a really, late stage counter-brockage. So I will leave it raw or write an article in ERRORSCOPE to accompany the coin.

http://goccf.com/t/190884