PCGS - One of the highlights of being a grader is seeing some truly amazing coins. This is especially true with error coins, where each coin is potentially unique and can range from the minor to significant. Here are a few selections of pieces recently submitted to PCGS that were particularly noteworthy.
France (1827-30) 5 Francs Full Brockage on Reverse Error PCGS AU58This fantastic brockage error was submitted to PCGS via the Paris office. A brockage occurs when a struck coin or obstruction isn't ejected from the dies and a new planchet or blank is fed into the dies. The struck coin or obstruction transfers the design struck into it onto the fresh planchet, creating a reversed image of what was struck into it. With dies carrying a reversed or mirrored image of what will be impressed onto the coin, the struck object is raised and shows the intended design.
With a brockage error, the piece that had been previously struck is raised and that is what transfers its design, not the design of the dies. Therefore, when it is impressed into the coin, a mirrored incuse image occurs. For this example, the transfer was that of the obverse design mirrored onto where the reverse would have been. Since the coin is dated and mint marked on the reverse, the date is unknown but can be narrowed down to between 1827 and 1830, based on the obverse design.
China (1920) 10 Cash Y-306.1 90% Brockage on Obverse Error PCGS AU55Continuing the theme of brockage mint errors, this coin from the Republic of China - an undated type from 1920 - features a partial mirrored brockage on the obverse. The error occurred like a normal mirrored brockage as with the French coin above. However, the obverse die wasn't fully obscured, leaving about 10% of the obverse design to be transferred along with the mirror brockage from the previous struck piece. There is a depression of missing detail on the reverse of the coin where the design failed to be filled in due to this striking error.
China (1920) 10 Cash Y-392 80% Brockage on Obverse Error PCGS XF45The next brockage error featured is one on which the brockage is also offset but different from the previous Chinese coin, as the area without the brockage didn't have any design elements struck into it. On this example, we have a full design transfer on the reverse of the coin, but the obverse only features a brockage error and is blank where the struck coin didn't contact the blank planchet in striking. These three brockage errors show an interesting diversity between these types of errors.
Hong Kong 1975 $5 Clipped Planchet Error PCGS MS64.The last error coin featured this month is a Hong Kong 1978 $5 with a clipped planchet error. What makes this coin interesting is the shape, with Hong Kong $5 coins being decagonal shaped (10 sided). So, when the clipped error occurred, it left an interesting cut. This kind of clip error occurs with the blank being punched out of the sheet of metal. The sheet of metal failed to travel enough to have a fully cut-out blank, leaving the new piece that was punched out missing the area that had previously been punched out for the previous blank. Being the decagonal shape, this clip shows points instead of a curve that occurs on a round coin.
We are always intrigued with these unique and amazing coins submitted each day and trust you are as well. We hope you enjoy features like these error coin highlights. If you do, please feel free to reach out and let us at PCGS know!
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Posted 09/01/2021 12:53 pm
