Unusual Error?

The way I personally look at them is that they have premium value if the area directly across from the thickest part of the misalignment is cut off enough to touch the design elements closest to the rim. In this case I would say yes...barely, but yes.

I too have seen thousands of very minor misaligned die strikes through the years - many off just enough to give the hint of a double rim. Those all go back in the garbage coins. I submit that it is very uncommon indeed to find a Lincoln Cent with an obverse die misaligned enough to touch the letters of the motto, the L of LIBERTY, or the bottom of the bust. Those - in nice condition - are worth a $5 bill to me. The examples that actually cut off design elements go up significantly, because those are down right rare. I have owned one and have seen half a dozen of them - and have NEVER found one.

I am not posting to directly disagree with Mike here. I am merely saying that - from a person who has searched hundreds of thousands of Lincoln cents in his life - these are NOT common at all.

Both anvil and hammer dies can be misaligned, but since the anvil die is constrained within the collar it can't be off as much as the hammer die can be. the anvil die can never be so far off that part of the design is missing. (Notice I say anvil and hammer and not obv/rev. Which die is the hammer die depends on what series you are discussing.)